Foster carers Lis and Neil look after a baby ...and mum comes too!
COUPLE ARE HELPING TO KEEP PARENT AND CHILD TOGETHER
JUST when many people might think about putting their feet up and taking it easy, grandmother Lis Kolkman, 66, and partner Neil Saxon have taken on a new challenge - fostering a baby and its mum.
For the past three months, the couple have been foster carers not only to the tiny tot in their home but also to the child’s mother in a new scheme being run by Derby City Council fostering service.
Lis and Neil are the first people to take on an internal parent and child placement made by the city council, instead of it being arranged through a private fostering agency which could result in mums and babies being located to places as far afield as Kent.
The aim of the placement is to allow an assessment of a parent’s ability to be able to meet their child’s needs to be undertaken in a safe environment.
With advice, support and monitoring from the foster carer, the parent is given the opportunity to develop and demonstrate their parenting skills.
The placements usually last around four months, during which time the assessment is completed and a decision made about whether the child can safely remain in their parent’s care, once they have left the parent and child foster placement.
The children concerned are often but not exclusively young babies, as in the case of Lis and Neil, who have grown-up children of their own already.
Lis has been delighted to have a baby in the house again and feels that the scheme is the best way of ensuring that mum and baby will get a chance to bond.
She said: “Quite often when women or young girls find themtion
selves in these situations, they don’t always want to give up their babies but they cannot see a way to being able to cope depending on their personal circumstances.
“They may not have support from a partner or family, or have mental health issues or drug problems, which could affect their ability to manage. “But with the right support it is possible that they could see a way to be able to keep their children or babies.”
When a baby is placed with a foster carer – and mum comes along, too – the mum remains the main carer throughout the placement. The foster carer is on hand to help and give advice about feeding and bathing, and making sure health and social worker appointments are kept. The foster carer also keeps daily reports, although an official assessment is made externally also.
Placements usually last about four months and the assessments and talks will decide whether it has been a placement or not and what should happen next.
This could include more foster care just for the child, adopproceedings or a parent could get additional assessment for 26 weeks in a home of their own or with supportive friends or family to see how their independency is progressing. Lis said: “I personally feel that even if the foster placement does not work out and the mum decides she cannot keep the baby, or it is felt it is in
It’s all about trying to break a cycle of care and allow these mums to get more education and jobs... Lis Kolkman