carer

A number of US states have passed laws that will, among other things, prevent single carers from fostering.

It seems inconceivable that policy-makers would try to limit who can apply, when the most important thing should be finding these children someone to love them.

What’s behind it? The conservative movement considers that the appropriate family is a mum, a dad and the kids.

An article in The Australian (Thursday Oct 2, 2008) ‘Potential carers put off fostering’ (Overington and Trup) reviewed some of the confidential submissions to the Wood Royal Commission.

The first paragraph states ‘Tens of thousands of affluent, educated and responsible couples are ready to take the nation’s abused and neglected children into their care, if only they could be guaranteed that the children would be allowed to stay’.

We've dealt with quite a number of workers over the years. When some degree of understanding and trust is reached, communication and decision making is definately easier.

Here's our best experience of working with a social worker about a child in our care: we exchange views with the worker on the issues. We listen to them, they listen to us, and we agree on an approach that we are both happy with. Importantly, we both agree that the child's requirements are the most important ones.