Complicated

[sensorynorfolk]

Hello
At six months old lo came to be with me as I was her foster carer This month she had been with me almost six years, she had been with me some of the time as her foster carer but most of the time as her prospective foster carer until this month when she was removed. She was removed for two reasons. Firstly the court agreed she needed a bridging foster placement in order to transition her back to her birth mother, once her birth mother has finished her current therapy and been reassessed by the psychologist. Secondly they felt I couldn’t bridge her as I was emotionally harming her as my anxieties around her behaviours were making her more anxious and causing a negative cycle. This was because I believed instead that she has some behaviours that are caused by her initial traumas and that she behaves the way she does because she felt safe with me and at times masked elsewhere.
However there is a real concern that if birth mum doesn’t finish her therapy and/or doesn’t pass her updated psychological assessment, or their reunification fails then lo will have to move foster carers again. Myself and lo’s birth mum get along quiet well and so I am hoping that if in the meantime I continue with therapy and work on the issues raised that then is things do go wrong I can then apply to the court (hopefully with Birth mums consent as she does not want her staying in care) for either a lives with order or SGO.

Is this legally feasible? Got any chance at all? Is there any advice on the best way to approach to proceed with this if needed.

[Robin D]

It beggar's belief that they have moved a child after 6 years, especially to a temporary bridging arrangement, when the possibility of returning to Mum's care has yet to be confirmed. Have that LA not learned anything from all the issues around moving children around and actually causing attachment disorders themselves? Over many years they have been criticised for very poor practice. On the assumption that it is the LA I think it is, we took a child from them back in 1975, (told he was 4, yet was actually 6!) and had real issues that we, and the child psychologist didn't finally get to the truth of his terrible early experiences, followed by a succession of carers until he came to us, until he was about14. Meantime we were told all the issues triggered by his early experiences were our fault!

Added to that, on their own doorstep, they have the one of the worlds leading academics in Attachment research in Professor David Howe.

Whether or not the child gets returned to birth mother is not the issue, it's the how.

If you are not already party to the proceedings in the court, I would say you need to apply now. There is a small fee. The court office will help with completing the forms. I strongly suggest you do not discuss with the social worker beforehand; they much prefer it if you are kept in the dark. You are a 'significant person in the child's life' and can argue rightly, that you are trying to protect the child from further harm. You do not need to be legally represented.

You get on with the birth mum, and therefore the transfer of care is best coming from you? You also have the right to apply for a Special Guardianship Order yourself, but @Suzie here might be better placed than I to advise if that would be appropriate.

Clearly I am saying this on what you have posted. Hopefully I have correctly read your post.

I wish you luck, and carry on fighting for the benefit of that child.

Good luck

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Hello
At six months old lo came to be with me as I was her foster carer This month she had been with me almost six years, she had been with me some of the time as her foster carer but most of the time as her prospective foster carer until this month when she was removed. She was removed for two reasons. Firstly the court agreed she needed a bridging foster placement in order to transition her back to her birth mother, once her birth mother has finished her current therapy and been reassessed by the psychologist. Secondly they felt I couldn’t bridge her as I was emotionally harming her as my anxieties around her behaviours were making her more anxious and causing a negative cycle. This was because I believed instead that she has some behaviours that are caused by her initial traumas and that she behaves the way she does because she felt safe with me and at times masked elsewhere.
However there is a real concern that if birth mum doesn’t finish her therapy and/or doesn’t pass her updated psychological assessment, or their reunification fails then lo will have to move foster carers again. Myself and lo’s birth mum get along quiet well and so I am hoping that if in the meantime I continue with therapy and work on the issues raised that then is things do go wrong I can then apply to the court (hopefully with Birth mums consent as she does not want her staying in care) for either a lives with order or SGO.

Is this legally feasible? Got any chance at all? Is there any advice on the best way to approach to proceed with this if needed.

Dear sensorynorfolk

Welcome to the kinship forum and thank you for posting.

My name is Suzie, online adviser at Family Rights Group. I am sorry to see that a child for whom you have been caring for 6 years has been removed from your care.

The reasons you give in your post for her removal relates to your ability to manage her behaviour or how this was affect-ing her emotionally. Also, the court has agreed that provided her mother completes her therapy and a positive psycholog-ical assessment her daughter may return to her care. It is not considered that you will be able to manage her transitioning to her mother’s care due to your own emotional attachment to the child.

As you have had her in your care since she was 6 months old the court would have a final order regarding her long-term care. I am assuming a care order was made and she has been in a long term foster placement with you during the in-tervening years. It would be unusual for a child to be re-moved from a settled placement unless children’s services had safeguarding concerns for the child.

You mention in your post that you are involved in therapy yourself at present and hope to address the concerns that have been raised. I hope you will be able to do so.

When there is a care order in place children’s services have a duty to review the child’s care plan and consider reuniting child with family. Is this the case here, or did her mother apply to the court to discharge the care order? You can read more HERE about the duties children’s services have when a child is in their care.

To address your specific question about applying for child arrangement (live with) (CAO) order or a special guardianship order (SGO). As you have had the child in your care as a foster carer for a long time you it is possible for you to apply to the court for either of the orders mentioned. Although you get on well with the mother, I am not sure she would agree to sharing parental responsibility with you for her daughter, but this is something that you will be able to discuss. It appears she has been working towards reunification with her daughter and she may well be successful in achieving her goal.

You can read more about the orders you wish to apply for child arrangement. child arrangement and special guardianship

There is also a TABLE for more information about who can apply.

In your post you mention that children’s services is concerned about the child’s behaviour and her anxieties. Have they ar-ranged for her to have any support relating to this and how she may be helped with her behaviour/anxiety going for-ward. If this is not addressed, it could negatively affect reunification and mean more moves for the child.

You have had a response from another poster about their own experiences looking after a child and their views about a child being moved to different carers.

Whether you would be successful in an application to the court will depend on the outcome of the assessment which would be carried out and whether it is in the child’s interests to be placed with you. The court’s decision is made based on the child’s welfare being its first consideration.

I hope you find this helpful.

Best wishes

Suzie