Read on Twitter
Lots of interesting perspectives on this issue after some foster carers won a legal battle to be seen as employees. @VonnSand also had some good dialogue about it this week too. https://twitter.com/kenny_murray/status/1300772391778480129
The things I'm fascinated most by is how quick some self declared foster care workers have been to equate the view that they shouldn't be employees to the view that they shouldn't get money. No.
People who foster should get a million pounds a day if that's what they need.
People who foster should get a million pounds a day if that's what they need.
I'm barely exaggerating with that. There is NO COST that I think the state should balk at if it involves guaranteeing somewhere for a child who can't live with their parents to be safe, loved, understood and supported to understand what's happening in their life.
I dont think that the receipt of money in and of itself is the corrupting factor.
I think it's agencies and councils framing fostering as a way to make a living. The disqualification of households where people already work from taking part. The prevalence of moving children.
I think it's agencies and councils framing fostering as a way to make a living. The disqualification of households where people already work from taking part. The prevalence of moving children.
I don't think that there's a tinkering around the edges version of changing this. It's a break the wheel situation.
Adults who choose to put themselves forward need to be prepared for a young person centred life. Authorities need to let those adults have a job AND foster.
Adults who choose to put themselves forward need to be prepared for a young person centred life. Authorities need to let those adults have a job AND foster.
Fostering, conceptually, has to be restructured so that fewer young people are living with complete strangers in the first place.
And the notion that adults who choose to look after children who aren't theirs in their home become the "workforce" of the state needs to stop.
And the notion that adults who choose to look after children who aren't theirs in their home become the "workforce" of the state needs to stop.
We have created a situation where people's mortgages, car payments and bills depend on them having another person's child in their home. In service of a system that a recent review said is predicated mostly on removing children from others living in poverty.
That isn't right.
That isn't right.
