All Sarah’s latest articles and up to date news.
She speaks out on issues many avoid with a passion obviously driven by the desire to improve standards and champion foster carers.
January 10, 2022Foster Carer’s Mental Health
Foster carer’s mental health – It’s time to acknowledge it I came into fostering from working in mental health in the NHS. Once I embarked on my fostering career and experienced the toll it takes on a carer’s mental health, I was staggered to find that it is not just a lack of awareness or…
November 23, 2021Time to ditch the orphan Annie narrative in fostering
Time to ditch the orphan Annie narrative in fostering. Why modern foster carers are more than spare room and a big heart. It makes me so angry when I see the adverts ‘Have you got a spare room and a big heart?’ That’s all you need to be a foster carer, they say. To me,…
October 27, 2021The foster carer’s pay debacle
The foster carers pay debacle – why are we literally paying for their mistakes? Right now huge numbers of foster carers across the UK looking after the countries most vulnerable children are being left unpaid. Many have to rely on overdrafts or loans from family and friends. Foster carer’s payments are in chaos across the…
October 13, 2021Why I’m not talking about the Care Review
People have asked me why I’m not talking about the Care Review, here’s the answer. I could really write one line on this. Because it will never be about meaningful change or improvement for the foster carer workforce. Since I first started campaigning 10 years ago foster carers have been my primary focus. I have…
September 24, 2021The Foster Carer’s Paradox.
Sometimes I just feel we are stuck in the revolving door of the foster carer’s paradox. Sometimes I’m told ‘you’re just a foster parent’ then at other times that I’m a professional required to adhere to national minimum standards, statutory legislation, attend meetings, work with a team and engage in continued professional development. Sometimes I…
September 21, 2021We are the epitome of the gig economy – we deserve rights
Sarah Anderson of the Foster Care Workers Union says those looking after the most vulnerable need better pay and job protection, even if it means changing the law. Working with no employment rights is one of the big downsides of the so-called gig economy. Now foster care workers are joining bike couriers and taxi drivers…
September 10, 2021We dedicate our lives to fostering. So why are we treated with such disdain?
The children we take in have often had harrowing lives. We give them round-the-clock care under immense scrutiny – yet we have no workers’ rights Wednesday saw a landmark ruling: a UK employment tribunal recognised two foster care workers as employees. The carers, Christine and James Johnstone, had sought the recognition of the Glasgow city…
Employment rights for foster carers are essential to give children stability
We need legal recognition as workers if we are to give the children in our care the security they need Last week a fellow foster care worker came to me, desperate for help. They had been repeatedly forced to use a food bank in order to provide for the child in their care. The Fostering…
