UK Foster Children Removed Because of Fosterer's Political Party Policies

[Lord Snot]

Three children have been removed from their foster home. The foster parents say it's because of their support of UKIP, a political party who are anti-Europe, anti-immigration, anti-same sex marriage and so on. It seems the children are immigrants or the children of immigrants and the council felt it was a "bad cultural match" to leave them in that home.

You can read the UKIP's views here, for those who aren't familiar with them.

The council said:

Rotherham Borough Council's Strategic Director of Children and Young People's Services, Joyce Thacker, told the BBC: "We always try to place children in a sensible cultural placement.

"These children are not UK children and we were not aware of the foster parents having strong political views. There are some strong views in the UKIP party and we have to think of the future of the children."

She said the issue related to the party's policies on immigration issues.

It's unclear whether it was actually known that the couple were against multiculturalism and immigration, or whether they were just known to support a party that is. It's an important distinction for me, I'll be voting Labour in the next election but I definitely do not agree with all of their policies or share their views on all things.

It's also important to remember that the council are bound by confidentiality here. If there were other reasons that the children were removed, they can't reveal them. From the quote above it seems like it was because of the couple's UKIP association, but we all know media quotes can be taken well out of context and bits left out for the sake of a good story.

What do you think about the council's actions?

 

[CrazyCatLady]

I think they were totally right to remove the children from the foster parents xxx

 

[Moll Flanders]

From what that Thacker woman said it seems like the council might have been worried for legal reasons because they were criticised before for not placing children in the right environment. I thought they would have had discussions about the foster parent's political views before they were allowed to foster because I thought you had to agree to teach children about their heritage if they were not from the same background as the parents, or maybe that is just in the case of adoption?

 

[SummerRain]

I can understand both points of views really, UKIP isn't a racist or homophobic party (at least on paper) and aren't "anti immigration" they just want much tighter restrictions and much less immigration. I don't see why that would make you unsuitable to foster an immigrant child.

However, fostering isn't a right. Fostering is about finding the most suitable place for the child, and I can see how people who disprove of the amount of immigration we have wouldn't be the best match for immigrant children. It doesn't mean they're unsuitable, or unable to look after a child. It doesn't mean they're racist or negligent or abusive - it's not like taking a child away from their parents. It just means that the council didn't think it was the most appropriate place, and I can see how they could think that.

I'm not sure if taking children that have been in a placement for 2 months away from where they are, presuming they're happy there, is the best thing to do. On one hand, if they're happy and settled and it hasn't been an issue it doesn't seem fair to move them, on the other hand if they stay there for longer and a problem does arise that'll be much more difficult for everybody. I'm glad it isn't me who has to make these choices, because I think it's a difficult thing to try to decide what's best for a child.

 

[Lord Snot]

I can understand both points of views really, UKIP isn't a racist or homophobic party (at least on paper) and aren't "anti immigration" they just want much tighter restrictions and much less immigration. I don't see why that would make you unsuitable to foster an immigrant child.

Well, on paper is that they don't want gay people to have the same rights as straight, and they want to "end support for multiculturalism". I think it's pretty clear they are racist, homophobic and anti-immigration!