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14/05/2023

Follow up care after a placement could give mothers the support they need to continue on their path towards a better future. This can include support from friends and family, support groups, access to jobs and benefits as well as adult social care. Without access to this care, mothers may struggle to continue with the skills they have learnt during placement which may lead to repeat foster care placements or even separation.

This statistic was taken from a survey of foster carers who support the birth mothers during their placements. Whilst the cohort was small this survey gives us a small insight to a much larger issue.

01/05/2023

Birth mothers face a lack of nearly everything post placement. The overriding issue is a lack of continuity of care which can occur in many forms. It can lead to a lot of anxiety as there are not resources to help with issues including even where to safely live or getting away from an abusive partner. Schemes such as The Freedom Programme can teach women about abuse and how a partner should be treating them but there is a lack of practical support to get away from them and live independently. People are often told to leave a relationship without consideration of the reality of the difficulties in doing this.
Reference: The Freedom Programme. Learn about domestic violence and abuse

27/04/2023

Many people in parent child placements had very poor examples of parenting themselves, and/or had abusive childhoods. This means they do not have a positive role model for how to parent, and likely don't have support around them (particularly familial) to help out. Foster placements can help with learning these skills, but there needs to be continuity once mothers are back in the community to assist them in continuing to develop these skills in their own environment. Breaking intergenerational trauma and abuse cycles is a large task but continuity is a starting point.

References:
Ward H, Moggach L, Tregeagle S, Trivedi H. Issues Facing the Birth Parents and Their Implications for Open Adoption. In: Ward H, Moggach L, Tregeagle S, Trivedi H, editors. Outcomes of Open Adoption from Care: An Australian Contribution to an International Debate Cham: Springer International Publishing; 2022 [cited 2022 Nov 20]. p. 41–62.
Parent And Child Fostering | Mother And Baby Fostering

25/04/2023

Firstly we want to thank everyone that has interacted with our account so far. Initially this started as an aim to raise awareness on a local basis, but having reached people nationally both through this account and our TikTok we are excited to see the scope this project will take.

If anyone has any feedback, whether a member of the public, a social worker, foster care provider, or a member of this underserved population we want to leave this post up for you to leave feedback and your thoughts on our platform so far 🫶🏼🤍

22/04/2023

There are certain barriers that inhibit the success of parent-child placements:

1. Stigmatising parents from care: Stigmatisation based on negative assumptions can leave many parents feeling that they have to work harder than other parents to show that they were capable of parenting.

2. Fear of social services: Negative experiences with social services in the past can make parents less willing to engage with their help in the future.

3. Unrealistic expectations: The stigmatisation of parents from care could arising from unrealistic expectations placed on them. In many cases, their parenting is judged against standards that apply to ‘normative’ childcare that has arisen in a very different context. For example, they might not have the support of family that other parents might have. Appropriate standards must be set up that are more suitable to the circumstances of these parents so that they do not feel unsupported or unfairly stigmatised.

17/04/2023

Loneliness plays a huge part in the return to old habits when mothers leave their parent child foster placement. If they are left unsupported and alone, they are more likely to fall back on people who are unhealthy for them in an attempt to be less lonely.

References: Personal Correspondence, Real World Advocate Conversations

14/04/2023

The success of the parent-child placement is determined by a number of key factors:

1. Preparation: Having the ability to meet the parent prior to them moving in helped to relieve uncertainty and anxiety as well as gaining a rapport between the carer and parent.
2. Stability: Parents who have previously spent time in care have generally experienced instability in their living arrangements and relationships with caregivers. The opportunity for stability in these areas is therefore valued at the time of parenthood.

3. Support after placement: The transition to independence after the end of the placement can be very challenging. It is crucial that post-placement community support, including home visits, telephone contact and support in accessing community services is provided to maintain the positive behaviours the parents have gained from placement.

04/04/2023

Children growing up in these high-stress environments are much more likely to experience health issues in the form of developmental delays and mental health disorders. These commonly manifest through depression, anxiety, chronic pain, or PTSD. It is also more likely that the same patterns of abuse become replicated in adult life.

In 2019, a study by the office of national statistics identified that fifty-two per cent of adults who faced abuse before the age of sixteen experienced domestic abuse in their later life, creating a cycle of vulnerability and poor well-being. This could be down to the feeling of familiarity when experiencing the abuse as fits with their imprinted childhood knowledge, as well as potentially having a misunderstanding of the standards of healthy relationships.

Being provided with guidance and support both as a child and a parent will contribute to breaking the cycle and rebuilding lives.

31/03/2023

'In comparison to other areas of the world, England & Wales have the highest rates of child removal from their birth parents’.
However, it is apparent that the current system in place is inadequately designed to support these women and to enable them to keep their children. By increasing the awareness of the challenges faced by mothers who have had their children removed from their care, we are taking the first step towards recognising and meeting the needs of this vulnerable group.

Reference: Cox P, Barratt C, Blumenfeld F, Rahemtulla Z, Taggart D, Turton J. Reducing recurrent care proceedings: initial evidence from new interventions. Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law. 2017; 39: 332–49

09/03/2023

Whilst mothers and children within the placements can be of any age, 43% of children are under 1 year of age. This is a crucial time for the bonding between mother and child which the placement could facilitate. During placements mothers are taught valuable skills which help them bond and take care of their child.
This statistic was taken from a large study on birth mothers and their children in foster care placements.

Reference:
Broadhurst, K. et al. (2015) “Vulnerable birth mothers and repeat losses of infants to public care: Is targeted reproductive health care ethically defensible?,” Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law. https://doi.org/10.1080/09649069.2015.998007.

23/02/2023

A lot of people struggle with abusive relationships. They might aware of them or they might not know that they are in one. Here is some information about these relationships and signs to look out for. A lot of the women that we are advocating for are currently in one or have experienced them. It is important to spread awareness around this topic and aid people to recognise the signs.

21/02/2023

The amount of research on pre-birth placements is limited. However, these articles provide insights into the wider aspects of parent and child fostering.

"Following a parent child placement, there are multiple challenges that birth parents may face. Having a continuous source of post-placement support is vital to ensure well-being of both the parents and their children. The lack of guidance and support provided by the system post-placement increases the anxiety levels and vulnerability of this population. Absence of suitable housing, loneliness and conflict can all form barriers to achieving independence. Recognising this is the first vital step in initiating changes that need to be made to help birth parents following a placement."

Luke N, Sebba J. Effective parent-and-child fostering: An international literature review. 2014.https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Effective-Parent-and-Child-Fosters-An-International-Literature-Review.pdf
Pause. About Us. 2022. https://www.pause.org.uk/about-us/

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