Foster carers hit hard by lockdown struggles
Pressure heaped on dedicated workers
A local foster carer has described the additional challenges the dedicated group are facing across the country amid the coronavirus lockdown.
Working on lockdown in their homes, 55,000 foster care workers across the UK are providing 24/7 care for around 65,000 of the UK’s most vulnerable children.
The IWGB (Independent Workers Union of Great Britain) Foster Care Workers branch say, with the lockdown placing increased stress on all families and domestic abuse escalating dramatically, many more children will likely enter the care system over the coming weeks.
The local foster carer, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: “All children who are in foster care have been through trauma of some sort so their behaviour can be challenging in different ways. Change of routine also affects them as they have already had to deal with change. The anxiety of not seeing their friends, not being at school causes challenging behaviour. The fact that their clubs they enjoy have been cancelled is hard. Trying to get children to do school work at home is another big issue.”
The woman said while foster carers love their roles, they are currently working 24/7 without a break.
“It’s exhausting. Trying to stay calm and remembering that this is a difficult time for everyone, especially the children, helps.
“There are lots of additional expenses due to children being at home; food, purchasing arts and craft equipment and educational resources and also toys to keep them occupied.
“As we receive far less than the minimum wage, extra expenditure is obviously a worry, as is the fact we aren’t entitled to sick pay. If a carer got sick, and the children had to leave, the carer would have no money.
“Some carers are also being asked to accept extra children. These children may or may not have coronavirus. That is a big decision to make when everyone else is social distancing.”
The IWGB have launched a petition in a bid to address the UK-wide issue of foster carers’ lack of entitlement to Statutory Sick Pay, saying they should not be asked to potentially expose themselves and their families to Covid-19 with no entitlement to financial support if they develop symptoms.
Ken Millard, vice-chair of the IWGB Scottish Foster Care Workers branch, says: “Foster carers shouldn’t have to choose between our health and the children in our care. With most fostered children out of school and all respite cancelled, we’ve been left alone on the frontline, charged with seeing these children through the pandemic. We are stepping up to the task but we need the right to sick pay and we need it now.”
Jane Wright, chair of the IWGB Foster Care Workers Branch, said: “Our work is not only more challenging but also more important now than ever.
“Foster care workers are amongst the lowest paid care workers in the UK and have not been identified as key workers. Classified as self-employed, they have no entitlement to sick pay and fall between the cracks of the government support.”