Joe Swatch and The Care System

One of my sons worked in a childrens home in London for four years. The children involved have had such traumas in their short lives. It is hugely expensive having children in such homes but if the cycle of drug taking, criminality, low self esteem, lack of supportive relationships, confusion re sexuality, lack of educational achievement can be reversed it is worth every penny.

This was an eye opener to the care system.. That young girl who's mother put her n care as a young child then fostered by a young single women who then got a boyfriend who abused the at age ten. how dreadful.

Joe Swash's mother fostered children and Daniel on the show was one of them. He went on to university later

I was pleased to see that things have improved slightly with kids leaving care and they are now assisted to cook meals, shop etc.

My son had a friend who was leaving foster care. he was 16 then but it is 18 or 19 now when you leave. The council gave him a small flat, a bed, a cooker and left him to it. We went over and he was totally bewildered. I took him towels, face cloths, tea towels, saucepans, frying pan, some cleaning materials and old cloths for cleaning, bedding etc.

I was shocked last night to hear one of the foster fathers say his foster son arrived in the dead of night with his stuff in black bin bags, having been driven by a social worker half way and then transferred to another one. Whoever thought that one up?

I would have loved a bigger family,but having had diffucult pregnancies it wasnt to be.
I would have loved to have fostered but my ex husband was not the sort,kind hardworking man,but just about coped with our own children.
The marriage broke down,and my daughter died leaving me with a traumatised four year old,by this time I was with a much younger partner,who chose to stay and help me bring her up,she calls him dad.
I fought tooth and nail through the courts to keep her,I dread to think how different life could have been for her as a troubled 16 year old,she still struggles at 24 and needs support,even after leaving home 18 months ago.
I am too old now at 70 to deal with the stresses and strains of a foster child that is challenging at times,but these children need help and support,and love to know they are valued and to become able to live independently.

I was shocked when two sisters explained how each one was told by social workers that their sister didn't like them and that was why they were separated in care! How on earth can that be right?

The bit that shocked me was that it costs £6,000 a week to keep kids living in a small childrens home.

I have a friend who used to foster teenagers and she did a great job. Her job even involved her taking one girl to Spain to visit her mother in prison! When she took a holiday once a year social services sent in a TEAM of social workers to do her job. Foster carers have massive responsibility. I have another friend who does the same now and also brings out the very best in them. She has got a couple to Uni and they were very disturbed and school phobic when they came to her.

My heart breaks when I read or watch anything to the utterly abysmal care we give to children in this country. Why oh why can’t we get anything right?

An excellent programme.I so admire people who are able to foster .A friend of mine was a foster carer for this age group and would often have extra surfer sofas overnight.Young people unable to cope on their meagre allowance and consequently. S homeless. She would have fully endorsed this programme had she still been alive.

I didn’t watch but it seems the care system has barely changed since I qualified early in the 80s.
Much is against them and to succeed as a looked after child is a miracle and against the odds.
They get moved around so often meaning schools and friends change regularly and in my day at 16 were seen as independent.