GboroRam

Ok. If you are only doing 16 hours it's OK.
The contact with family who fooked up the situation in the first place is a nightmare. Try to fight to reduce the amount of contact by offering proof of the impact it has.
Twice a week is too often to allow the kids to process then get back into routines of your house. It will be a long battle, but it will be needed in the long term.
Just keep battling for what is right for the kids 
 

Just like teaching, in fostering it's the adults that drive you mad, not the kids.
It will be impossible to do if both of you are working full time.
Money can be a dirty word, social services think you vulgar at times, but they aren't volunteers. Make sure you are paid and receive everything due to you.
This isn't the most important thing for the kids, but I can assure you, fostering will prevent you earning what you earned before. 

I mentioned a few weeks ago in another topic that we are currently looking after 2 young boys (2 and 3), they moved in with us back in October and currently under assessment for temporary kinship foster parent status.
It's tough. Knowing we have at least 2 foster parents on here, just wanted to unload really.
We stepped in, trying to help out in short notice, I think it was 3 weeks from hearing they need our help to moving in and they have been fantastic. Settled in so well, this side has been an amazing experience.
The other side, not so. 
Meetings in person, remotely, check ups, health visitors, assessments, training courses then on top of that being available for contact with their mum and her mum (their gran) wanting her slice of our time
Where is the time left to, you know, do fun things with the boys like they should be doing? With both of me and Leanne working, just not finding the hours in the day. We're about to go through Family Conference which is an agreement for scheduled contact visits. The boys mum is wanting twice a week!
It's honestly overwhelming and I can understand why there is a shortage of foster parents available in our local area at least. Even the paperwork with weekly diary, accident forms, medication forms. 
Yesterday I was emailed another batch of assessment meetings. 
With those they want to dig into my finances, family tree, personality, education, leisure activities, even interview our ex partners and send us for a medicals.
Pretty much every Tuesday into the new year for 2 months will be taken up by this one particular department.
As I say, then you have social services, health services, an independent reviewer all wanting to take any other free hours you get until we get to the final boss which is the fostering panel that has to approve us.
Doesn't stop then either as this is only temporary whilst social services consider court orders and possible SGO orders.
Don't get me wrong, I get they have to be careful, most kids entering the fostering system have not found themselves there without going through tough times. They need to check that they are placed in a suitable home. Just feels like the whole process could be streamlined with less people ticking the same boxes.
Take DBS checks for example, we had to have them before placement through social services, now Fostering team want to do them again, surely they are there on file that can be shared?
Not much point to this post really than to say life is hard right now, currently writing this whilst in a Microsoft Teams waiting room for this weeks remote meeting. I respect you all that have been through this process.

Someone said earlier in the thread about Hamas celebrating and cheering the killing of Jews on October 7th. This is true. There was also lots of confusion and arguing between militants that has lead to speculation that Hamas didn't know about the festival in advance and that the leadership lost control of rampaging militants. 
Now we over the last few days we've seen IDF soldiers behave in a similar way. They also video their own war crimes. After someone in this thread said Hamas aren't that smart I hope we can extend this to the IDF too. Their propaganda has been awful. Someone in the thread mentioned crisis actors, another comment that hasn't aged well thanks to the terrible Israeli propaganda. 
The highlight of the week goes to the Israeli Ambassador to the UK finally telling the truth of the terrorist Likud party in English on an English Channel. So everyone who's had their fingers in their ears when Smotrich has threatened the Kingdom Of Jordan and given Palestinians 3 interesting choices, well, now you don't even need Google translate. 
I've noticed a lot less disguised Islamophobia on TV as desperate pro Israelis try to make a case. 
Now the video above shows that even the ever biased CNN can't deny these crimes against humanity. 
In this thread it's been implied that support for Palestine is a disguise for Antisemitism. People have backed Israeli lies as if the truth wasn't bad enough. People have been outraged that words like genocide and murder are attributed to Netenyahu and Co. People have said that calling out the likes of Stamer, Sunak and Braverman is adding fuel to the fire. All said by people that have barely (or not at all) acknowledged Palestinian suffering. Or given it brief "it's unfortunate" before complaining about antagonistic comments on a war that's seen tonnes of explosives randomly dropped on Gaza.  
The video above is from this war. But it might give some perspective on why members of Hamas did what they did. Why they'll do it again. It doesn't condone it. But this war is supported by the majority in Israel. And what's the death count in West Bank? The video above is also pretty tame in comparison to the Al Jazeera stuff. 
Supporting Israel in this action is being on the wrong side of history. State Terrorism. Ethnic cleansing. But don't dare accuse them of the G word. That's offensive.

All the songs with paedo undertones. 
She was just seventeen, if you know what I mean. 
Young girl get out of my mind, my love for you is way out of line. 
Wake up Maggie, I think I've got something to say to you. It's late December and I really should be back at school. 
And more. 

Or like the pub sign says, liquor in the front, poker in the rear. 

Haters will always hate, but Musk has defeated his haters over the last five years.
 

AI learns from the Internet. The Internet hates Musk. No surprises there. 
I think it's funnier that he bought twitter to fight against the woke mind virus, and his AI turns out to be woke. 

AI learns from the Internet. The Internet hates Musk. No surprises there. 
I think it's funnier that he bought twitter to fight against the woke mind virus, and his AI turns out to be woke. 

AI learns from the Internet. The Internet hates Musk. No surprises there. 
I think it's funnier that he bought twitter to fight against the woke mind virus, and his AI turns out to be woke. 

All sounds like a job application for TalkSport

I think there's a lucrative future in appealing to bigotry. He may just be calculating that he can make money this way. If he's naturally a bit of a bigot anyway, it's even easier. 

It would appear he's decided that he no longer wants to work in football - or else he's having some sort of very public breakdown and needs help

Me neither, but i tried to vote for this bloke only i spoiled my ballot paper:
Malcolm Peter Brian Telescope Adrian Umbrella Stand Jasper Wednesday (pops mouth twice) Stoatgobbler John Raw Vegetable (whinnying) Arthur Norman Michael (blows squeaker) Featherstone Smith (whistle) Northcott Edwards Harris (fires pistol, then 'whoop') Mason (chuff-chuff-chuff-chuff) Frampton Jones Fruitbat Gilbert (sings) 'We'll keep a welcome in the' (three shots) Williams If I Could Walk That Way Jenkin (squeaker) Tiger-drawers Pratt Thompson (sings) 'Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head' Darcy Carter (horn) Pussycat (sings) 'Don't Sleep In The Subway' Barton Mainwaring (hoot, 'whoop') Smith

Watching the early kick off in the Premier League and Will Hughes is playing a defensive blinder in the middle of the park, bullying Liverpool’s Endo. Palace fans seem to be giving him a Poom-esque “Hhuuuuuggghhheeess” of appreciation every time he does something of note. Would love him to come back to Derby one day. 

Just what the world needs next. Nuclear reactors on explosion prone space launchers. What could possibly go wrong?

I'm not sure there's really much need to bribe anyone to get out. It's an open border between Ukraine and Poland. I know if the military or the police catch serving age men leaving you'll be in trouble, but I think plenty of people just walked out. Not saying it's not true, as I guarantee there's people profiteering from the situation. 

Yet it's just another monetisation of the culture wars. They quickly realised that having only right-wing views just led to a nice pool of satisfied bigots, but zero engagement. Get some conflicting voices on there and give those viewers someone to argue with - that's the model I guess. It's still a right-wing channel though, all the presenters are coming from that angle. So many Tory MPs presenting shows now it'll probably have to go off air when the next election purdah period kicks in 😂
Anyway - wildly off-topic there so back on to X
I saw that Musk now wants to diversify X into being a new financial product that replaces bank accounts for people.
Who here would trust X.com with their money???

Wear whatever you want @Mucker1884 As long as it’s not that pink shirt 😆

Here are the details of Daniel’s funeral. The funeral cars will be passing Pride Park on the way to the crematorium (time tbc), anyone who wishes to give a clap as Dan goes past is welcome to do so. If you are planning on attending the funeral and would also like to come to the wake, please send me a private message by Tuesday 5th December. 

4 wins on the spin, how B4 would be enjoying this. He would be talking up our european chances by now, never mind lg1.
God, how we all miss him.😔

Instagram's targeted ads are scary good, was only the other day I was looking in the mirror and thinking, I'm aging quite well you know. I could be a model.
Then last night, this comes up...
 

It seems obvious tbh, I'm really not sure how anyone could make the case the other way.