procedure

So, access for a child in care is all about the child, right? You might go along, but you take a back seat. After all, they aren't related to you.

Some sound advice from a wise worker resonated with us. We think it can contribute to a child's wellbeing in any placement, long or short term. She talked about the importance of maintaining the relationship between foster family and birth family. That is, the adults in the relationship.

She said that foster and birth parents should connect in some way.

It is inevitable that, at some stage, a worker and a carer are going to disagree on a course of action. On the agency side will be due process, accepted procedure - both pushed with varying degrees of enthusiasm depending on the agency, as well as experience and expertise. Depending on how long the placement has been, on the carer side will be knowledge of the child, experience, and quite possibly some degree of affection for the small person.

So what do you do when you, as the carer, don't agree with what's proposed? How hard can you push back?