Fostering Fortnight focuses on Foster Care : The Examiner ...

By Br?nagh Murphy

Currently more than 1,700 children live with Health and Social Care (HSC) foster carers across Northern Ireland, of which 360 are living in the Southern Trust area. The Southern Trust wants to find the right home for children in care first time round to limit disruption and instability in their lives.

Therefore they need to recruit a wide pool of foster carers to allow for more choice and effective matching of children to carers. A shortage of foster carers means that children may be moved from home to home and away from their local area, school, family and friends and split from their siblings. As part of the recent Fostering Fortnight, the HSC launched a new campaign to encourage people to consider becoming foster carers. ?The Southern Trust is looking for patient and understanding people with space in their lives to devote to a child?s needs. ?You can apply to foster whether you are married / co-habiting or single, you own or rent your home, you work full time or are receiving benefits, and whether you have or do not have children of your own. Applications will be considered irrespective of religious / ethnic background or sexual orientation. HSC foster carers receive financial allowances, ongoing training and 24 hour fostering social work support.

As part of Fostering Fortnight, The Examiner takes a look at what fostering means for one local family. Eamon and Mary Clarke from Newry have been foster carers for almost twenty years.

Along with raising their own five children, over the years they have welcomed scores of children into their lives. Mary says fostering has been a very positive experience within their family and, as their children have grown, they continue to be happy and supportive.

?Our own children were aged from 5 to 15 when we made our initial enquiry at a caravan on Hill Street where Social Workers were promoting fostering. We decided to get involved as we felt we could offer a child a comfortable safe home,? Mary explained. ?The initial process involved a meeting with a Family Placement Social Worker followed by a home study which took a few months. The purpose of the home study was to assess what we had to offer as carers and the impact that taking children into our home would have on ourselves as a family. We talked about different situations that could arise and how to handle them.?

Mary recalls the first child they cared for: ?Our fostering career started with an 11-year-old boy. He stayed for two years before returning home to his family. After all these years he still keeps in touch, as do many of our previous placements. ?Over the years we have had scores of children stay with us. Their ages ranged from just a few hours old to 17-year-olds. ?Some only stayed a night or two on emergency placement, others stayed for years.

A lot of the children return home but some move to permanent placement via adoption.? Asked what have been the most rewarding or difficult aspects of fostering, Mary responded: ?Fostering brings out many emotions in everyone. From the pleasure of seeing an insecure, nervous and apprehensive child when they come in, develop into a happy warm and contented one within a few months. The pleasure you get from seeing this change is what drives a foster carer.

?The emotions you feel when a child moves on, particularly to adoption, are bitter-sweet. You are delighted for the child and his new parents and the permanency and stability that go with adoption but there is a feeling of sadness and loss in the weeks that follow. This is probably the hardest part of fostering but the pain soon eases as you here about the progress of the child in his new home and you take another child in and move on.?

Mary and Eamon have fostered children of all ages and say every child has had something to offer. ?Older children also bring their own rewards. People can stereotype teenagers in care as unruly and hard to manage. Indeed some can display challenging behaviour but a lot of them are looking for someone to care, to take an interest. They also can provide their share of fun and laughter within the home. The reward comes when you see a young person trying hard to turn their lives around and better themselves and Social Workers provide good back up for dealing with any problems that arise,? Mary said. Pointing out the positive effect fostering has had on their family, she added: ?Our children all show a caring and warm attitude to people less fortunate than themselves and we believe this stems from our fostering within the home and that fostering has been a positive influence and experience for us all.?

Martin McGrath, Head of Family Placement Services, Southern Health and Social Care Services says there is a particular need for more foster carers who could offer children long term or permanent homes. ??Fostering provides children who cannot live with their own families with alternative care where they can benefit from a loving, safe and stable home. Some of these children require care for a short time, others need nurturing homes until they reach independence. ?There is a particular need for more foster carers who could offer children long term or permanent homes. These carers are committed to guiding vulnerable children through their teenage years, helping them build resilience and confidence for the years ahead,? he said. There are currently ten children waiting for a long term home in the Southern Trust area children like brothers James and Stephen. ? James is 11 years old with blonde hair ?and of average build and Stephen is eight years old, with fair hair and average build. James is in primary 7. He has excellent attendance and currently receives extra assistance with his schoolwork. Stephen is in Primary 5 and copes well with school and has benefited from having some assistance with his reading skills.

James and Stephen both have a keen interest in football. Their favourite football team is Manchester United. James also enjoys swimming whilst Stephen is very keen on rugby. Though James and Stephen would have experienced loss and neglect they have developed a confidence, which enables them to give their views on issues which affect them. Both brothers respond to boundaries within their current placement. James and Stephen identify with the Protestant culture and faith. They require a long term placement with carers who have energy and a willingness to help the brothers fulfil their potential.

The Southern Trust is looking for people who are patient, understanding, compassionate, and flexible and who have time and space in their lives to devote to a child?s needs. If you think you could make a positive difference to a child?s life, drop into a local coffee morning near you: Alternatively, contact your local team: Newry/Mourne: 028 3083 2693; Armagh/Dungannon: ?028 8775 2033; Craigavon/Banbridge: 028 3833 7181 or visit Website: www.fostering.hscni.net.

Source: http://www.crossexaminer.co.uk/archives/6615

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