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ALL ABOUT ME NOTES:
My name: My address:
My telephone number: My social worker's name: My social worker's number: Social work Team leader’s name: Social work Team leader’s number: My parent’s name: My parent’s number: My school’s name: My school’s number: People who are important to me: (e.g. friends and family)
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Going into Foster care
TION INFORMA OU FIRST
FOR WHEN Y STER CARE GO INTO FO
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What is this book for?
This is a book for when you first come into ‘care’. It was written by children who live in care now or who used to live in care. Children in care know that you might have lots of questions when you first go into care. They wanted to tell you about some things that they think might help you when you first go into care. It might help you understand: What does being ‘in care’ mean? Why are you in care? How do you feel about going into care?
children the what Here is to tell you wanted e in car What does being ‘in care’ mean?
Children go into care when their parents are not able to care for them. This means that you leave your home and live in a new home with people who care for you and keep you safe. There are over 6000 children in care in Ireland.
A person called a Social Worker will help you when you are moving into your new home. They have special training to help you and your family. You should see your Social Worker lots when you first go into care. You should know their full name and number. You can write them down in the ‘ALL ABOUT ME’ section at the begining of this book. Your Social Worker will talk to you about ALL of the things in this book.
THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO ASK OR TELL MY SOCIAL WORKER ABOUT
e: Being in car
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Why am I in care?
There are lots of reasons children go into care. WHATEVER the reason is, it is not your fault. Your Social Worker will talk to you about why you have been taken into care.
How do you feel about going into care Draw or write about how you feel about going into care
Where will I live?
When you go into ‘foster care’, you live with another family. They are called your ‘foster family’; The people in your ‘foster family’ care for you in the same way that they would care for their own family; The adult in the house is called your ‘foster parent’. You can talk to them about what is the best name to call them. It might be by their first name and it might be ‘Mam’ or ‘Dad’; If you live with somebody from your own family like your aunt, uncle, grandparent, sister or brother, this is called ‘relative foster care’; You might have your own room or you might have to share with other children living in the house.
Draw or write about how YOU feel about your new home
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Where will I go to school?
If possible, your new home will be close enough to your old school so that you do not have to change school; Sometimes, your new home is too far from your old school and you might have to go to a new school. Your Social Worker will talk to you about this.
THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO ASK OR TELL MY SOCIAL WORKER ABOUT
My School:
How long will I be in care?
THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO ASK OR TELL MY SOCIAL WORKER ABOUT
Some children are in care for a very short time. Some children are in care for a long time. Every person is in care for a different amount of time. Your Social Worker will talk to you about how long they think you might be in care for.
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How long will I be in care?
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Can I see my family and friends?
If possible, your Social Worker will help you to see your parents, brothers and sisters. This is called ‘access’; For different reasons, sometimes it is difficult to make sure that you get to see your family. Your Social Worker will talk to you about this; If there are other people that are important to you and you would like to see them, tell your Social Worker about them.
Draw or write about the people that are important to you...
Things you need to know about when you are in care The children in care who wrote this book wanted you to know about these important things:
Your care plan
Every child in care has a ‘Care Plan’; This is a plan for your life in care and all the things to help you when you are in care e.g. • Where you will live and who you will live with; • Where you will go to school; • Where and when you will meet your family. Your Social Worker will talk to you about plans for your care every time they visit; You can talk to your Foster Parent and arrange to talk to your Social Worker about your life in care and the things in your Care Plan anytime you like; Your ‘Care Plan’ is also talked about at meetings. These meetings are called Child in Care Review meetings.
Child in Care Review meetings A meeting is when people who care for you come together to talk with you about how you are getting on. The people at the meeting might be your parents, Social Worker, foster parents and teacher.
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What do you talk about at a Child in Care Review meeting?
At the meetings, you talk about: Anything you want to talk about; What has happened since the last meeting; Your home….and if you are happy or sad about that; Your school….and if you are happy or sad about that; Your health.....and how you are feeling; Where and when you will meet your parents, brothers, sisters and other people you want to see (if possible) How you feel about living in your new home; Where you will live in the future.
HOULD S E R E TH FOOD BE NICE TING MEE AT THE SHOULD T I D N A NICE A N I E B PLACE!
Who is at the Child in Care Review meeting?
Your Social Worker, foster parent, parents and other people who care for you can go to the meeting; YOU are the most important person at the Child in Care Review meetings. You can say: • WHERE you would like the meetings to be e.g. your sitting room or somewhere you like; • WHO you would like to be at the meeting;
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When are the Child in Care Review meetings?
There is a meeting about your Care Plan when you first go into care; After that, there is a Child in Care Review meeting every six months for the first two years; After that, there is one every year.
The Child in Care Review meetings last for about one hour.
Help from children in care about Child in Care Review meetings
Your Foster Parent and Social Worker will help you get ready for your Child in Care Review meeting. They will talk to you about what will be talked about at the meeting; It is ok to say how you really feel. You do not need to worry about upsetting anyone else; If you do not want to say anything, your Foster Parent or Social Worker can help you say what you want to say; The most important thing to remember is that this meeting is for YOU to make sure you are being well cared for.
REMEMBER! You do NOT have to wait for a Child in Care Review meeting to talk about something that is important or to ask for something e.g. to go on a sleepover at a friend’s house.
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My ‘Care Plan’ or ‘Child in Care Review’ meetings
t things n a t r o p ore im A few m n care: i g n i v i l about our foster Clothes: Y n money ive parent is g e clothes. Lik to buy you you can ily, in any fam o many! only buy s
Food: You might be asked to eat food that is different to what you are used to;
THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO ASK OR TELL MY SOCIAL WORKER ABOUT
Hobbies: You might be able to join different clubs and groups e.g. a hurling club or a dance group;
Sleepovers: It can be more difficult to go on sleepovers at a friend’s house when you are in care. You might need to have permission from your foster parent, your Social Worker and sometimes from your parents. If you want to go on a sleepover, talk to your foster parent or your Social Worker about this.
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Things that helped other c hildren in care The children who wrote this book also wanted to tell you about some of the things that really helped them when they were in care:
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Talk to people about how you are feeling
Make sure you talk to people about how you are feeling. Talk to someone you trust. This might be a teacher, Social Worker, your foster parent, a friend, brother, sister or your Mum or Dad; See if your Social Worker can arrange for you to meet with other children in care. It is really good to talk to other people in care.
Living with a foster family
Give your foster family a chance; Every family has different rules e.g. bedtimes and dinner times; Your foster parent or anyone in the foster family is NOT allowed to push or slap you at ANY time; Tell your foster parent what food you like; Tell your foster parent what TV programmes you like; Tell your foster parent what things you like to do; Tell your foster parent what things you do not like to do; Tell your foster parent about new things you’d like to try!
(You can write them down in the ‘ALL ABOUT ME’ section at the begining of this book.)
School
ood ant and it is a g rt o p im is l o o ch S do your best; idea to tr y and e problems with av h n re ild ch f o Lots lk ing. If you do, ta reading and writ cial arent or your So to your foster p a help. will get you extr ey th d an er rk o W
Ask for things
Do not be afra id to ask for things e.g. check and see if you can have yo ur old pet or a new one.
It is normal to feel... Scared; Worried; Shy; Sad; Glad; Happy.
ng forward to seei It is OK to look lik if you really e your family, even g for you. the people carin
Baking is g and a w reat fun ay of m aking things y ou like!
It is normal to feel like you have lots of questions.
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THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO ASK OR TELL MY SOCIAL WORKER ABOUT
14 Things that helped other children in care
n overload! Informatio rmation in this book
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S S O R C D R O W
ng with another family in their ho me? 5. One of the things it is normal to feel when you are going into car e 6. W hat you can talk about at a Child in Care Review meeting?
Down
2. Person that helps you when
you are going into care 3. N ame of the ‘plan’ to help you when you are in care 4. M ost important person at a Child in Care Review meeting
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3 4 5
DOWN 2. SOCIAL WORKER 3. CARE PLAN 4. ME! ANSWERS
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ACROSS 2. FOSTER CARE 5. WORRIED 6. ANYTHING!
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h Word Searc ord Search’
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WORD SEARC H THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT WHEN YOU ARE IN CARE
CARE PLAN FAMILY FEELING HAPPY FEELING SAFE FOSTER FAMILY FRIENDS SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER
S Y F E E L I N G H A P P Y D D O L K D Z C Z C F O R I Y G C R C I N A L P E R A C I F L K B J I M S C H O O L T F P Z F M Q C A A V H H Y Y Y G Y P K E A J H L F P O O L N P V L H Q E Y J F W R V H N I J R H F K S L F N R O E P V W M Y L J J F K I H F I R T Z N H A R M P G J W N G Z E K S H H V F B V O P F F G B J N E O Q F R D S V F H B S S B R D R F P H U F D Q K R X D A S Q S S V R V Y R M P H F N P F B O R A O I Y P X H H H U T R E B A R K
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S Y F E E L I N G H A P P Y D D O L K D Z C Z C F O R I Y G C R C I N A L P E R A C I F L K B J I M S C H O O L T F P Z F M Q C A A V H H Y Y Y G Y P K E A J H L F P O O L N P V L H Q E Y J F W R V H N I J R H F K S L F N R O E P V W M Y L J J F K I H F I R T Z N H A R M P G J W N G Z E K S H H V F B V O P F F G B J N E O Q F R D S V F H B S S B R D R F P H U F D Q K R X D A S Q S S V R V Y R M P H F N P F B O R A O I Y P X H H H U T R E B A R K
NOTES
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