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Absolutely! couldn't do this without the support of my dauther and youngest son. daughter offers practical help and can babysit and AS tends to talk and play with bubs, isn't allowed to lift and carry etc, but both help in loads of other ways too and often ahve to give up stuff so I can continue to do this. I think the SS often forgets just how much our own kids have to give up to enable us to care for fostered children. I love it, but am not convinced my kids always feel the same!!

Hear Hear !!!My kids are fantastic the older ones help with practical tasks and entertain fosterlings and the youngest is usually the first person a new arrival bonds with (and she never complains about sharing her bedroom)My oldest has just been interviewed for local paper as part of 'Sons and daughters week' and the older two have gone off to Channel 4 today as part of Fostering Network celebrations - hope they have a great day they certainally deserve it.Obviously when we decided to foster we thought about the impact it would have on them but had no idea of the reality - asking your children to embrace strangers as part of your family,gradually build a loving bond with them and then, often after years rather than months, smile as they send them off to a new family not knowing if they will ever see them again -Wow they really are amazing kids!!!! Especially as when the next one arrives they jump right in to do it all again despite knowing how painful it gets later down the line!!

I have to agree whole heartedly here.Praise where it is due to the EXCELLENT QUALITY Foster care my children received and the invaluable part their extended family played in giving them a rounded and happy experience.In fact the first true happiness of their lives.Thankyou

and not to forget the family friends as well! I thought about teh impact on my family (but like said the reality has been different) but it never occurred to me to think how my friends would feel, only thought about teh support they could offer me!! a few of them were truly gutted when my first bubs moved on and it doesn't get easier for them. they love my babies as much as I do but don't have the benefit of being able to keep in touch (when adopters/family members allow it anyway).

Totally agree friends, family and my kids friends all get very involved with the little ones we care for - I suppose it is very easy to when they are cute little babies , might be less inclined to do so if they were troubled teens!! We should be very grateful to all these people as they too offer love,warmth and stability to the children we care for

true! And I do foster some pretty gorgeous babies it has to be said! but have had very difficult toddlers too and the friends step up there too. I have some very good friends! mind you, not one of them has ever offered to come by in the middle of the night when I have a newborn!

Sticking up for the troubled teens they are missed by friends and family too. Although maybe next time I will get one of these cute babies.

So proud just got our local paper with a beautiful photo of my oldest daughter and a lovely interview about her feelings on fostering - she comes across as a kind,thoughtful, helpful and loving teenager (which she is most of the time)Only downside is that the interview starts off H** W** of S*** Avenue,so could well get a visit from some curious BF!!!

sometimes the papers are stupid aren't they?! hope the visits don't materialise for you. my current bubs knows where I am coz she spent so much time here but dad doesn't know. there was a real worry early on that mum would spill the beans but she never did, at least he's never turned up on my doorstep! But really, as he probably knows my name, he could just look me up in the phone book! keep meaning to get my name taken out of it but keep forgetting.

Agree whole-heartedly about family and friends support! Been fostering 35 years almost. Birth children were 9,7 and 5 when we began and are still great supporters of us fostering. First foster child was 6 months old and is now 35. Adopted her after she had been with us 8 years! Adopted 4 more through foster-care and have had a succession of children in between. Currently have 9 year old who came for 4 to 6 weeks respite 4 1/2 years ago! Oldest child comes to baby sit and first placement adores him and often has him to her house. As for friends, they have been so supportive. Shoulders to cry on when needed and practical help too. When one child was having nightmares and refusing to sleep in our house any more, friends came and took her to their house in the middle of the night to give us a break! Gave us breathing space and an opening to find out what was wrong. Seems she was terrified her first SW would turn up and "take her away to where she didn't want to go and she wouldn't see us again." (That had happened with this SW three times. Fortunately her then SW was great and reassured her that she was staying with us! The bad and the good of SW's! Bless their little cotton socks!