| There is a real need for foster homes for disabled | | | | carers in Crawley joined together for what was the |
| children across the country. Disabilities range from mild | | | | trip of a life time for many of them and their children - |
| learning needs to severe physical disability. These | | | | they visited Florida, and took in all the sights including, |
| children could be cared for in a loving home rather than | | | | even, swimming with dolphins. This was a wonderful |
| a residential establishment, with the right training and | | | | experience for the children and was made possible by |
| support for the foster carer. | | | | the commitment of a group of foster carers and the |
| Some children have medical needs which require | | | | mutual support within the group. |
| regular hospital visits as well as daily attention in the | | | | Many of our fostercare staff have started their |
| home for which foster carers are trained by the | | | | fostering career by caring for non-disabled children and |
| nursing and hospital staff. Some need to use a | | | | then moving on to disabled children - they have never |
| wheelchair and so the carer's home either needs to | | | | looked back. They build up their experience and skills |
| facilitate this or to be adapted for the purpose. Local | | | | and find they enjoy it more than anything else. Most |
| Authorities are keen to place such children in foster | | | | such children are placed on a long term basis which |
| homes, the cost of which is far less than residential, so | | | | also appeals to many foster carers, who find it very |
| they are willing to fund any adaptations and extensions | | | | rewarding to offer a child a stable placement when so |
| required in the home. | | | | many have had frequent moves. These children come |
| Foster carers of disabled children gain so much from | | | | to have a sense of"belonging" to the foster family and |
| the experience but they do require a huge amount of | | | | their extended family and friends, despite many of |
| support - both practical and emotional. It is good to | | | | them maintaining contact with their own birth families |
| have a support network of like minded people with | | | | as well. |
| similar interests, ideally who also care for disabled | | | | Fostering a disabled child is a challenge but from what I |
| children - this can work really well for the looked after | | | | see in this agency, it brings huge rewards for the |
| children as well as the carers. Recently a group of our | | | | carers and of course the children themselves. |