Court backs decision to bar foster couple
 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...shire-12598896

Re: Court backs decision to bar Homophobic Christian foster couple
 

I'm against ageism but I think that they are a little too old to be foster parents for the long term anyway..:erm:

Re: Court backs decision to bar Homophobic Christian foster couple
 

Quite correct in my view .Their is always a possibility that they would try to influence any foster child to their views who would not nescessarily be or become a christian or be religious in any way

Re: Court backs decision to bar Homophobic Christian foster couple
 

Same could and has been said about (natural) Christian parents influencing the children.

Re: Court backs decision to bar Homophobic Christian foster couple
 

1) Doesn't that potentially apply to anyone, even atheists?:rolleyes:
2) Respite care is for short periods in order to give parents of disabled children a break from caring for them, and so anybody wouldn't have much time(eg 2 weeks) to possibly impose any views.

Re: Court backs decision to bar Homophobic Christian foster couple
 

Difference is they are their own children and as such the parent has the right to influence their children any way within the law

---------- Post added at 19:01 ---------- Previous post was at 19:00 ----------

Of course it does ,and if a homophobic athiest couple applied to become foster parents/respite carers they would be refused as well

Re: Court backs decision to bar Homophobic Christian foster couple
 

A reader comment from the linked article. Link to comment.

Re: Court backs decision to bar Homophobic Christian foster couple
 

They weren't asked to say that homosexuality is a "good thing", so that is a bit of a straw man statement......

What they actually said was I wonder if the person who stated the comment you posted would not be able tell a child that a homosexual lifestyle was acceptable?

Re: Court backs decision to bar Homophobic Christian foster couple
 

" I would sincerely hope that NOBODY is talking to children about Homosexuality being an acceptable lifestyle.!:mad::td:

Let them make their own choices when they`re old enough and wise enough and have experienced life for quite a few years!

Re: Court backs decision to bar Homophobic Christian foster couple
 

Again I would like to point out that I believe their ages should have been the main issue.

Re: Court backs decision to bar foster couple
 

Title amended. Disagreeing with a homosexual lifestyle does not make someone Homophobic. I dont believe their religion had much to do the decision either.

Re: Court backs decision to bar Homophobic Christian foster couple
 

I disagree ,for short term fostering they would be ok ,plenty of grand parents do the same work

Re: Court backs decision to bar Homophobic Christian foster couple
 

That's being a grandparent, not fostering.I'm 58 myself and I think 65 is too old.

Re: Court backs decision to bar Homophobic Christian foster couple
 

Maybe ,depends on the child realy i think ,as you are aware some children need a lot more looking after than others

Re: Court backs decision to bar foster couple
 

Reading the story I'd say they think it's the main factor. them being Christian and having them views as a Christian.

Re: Court backs decision to bar Homophobic Christian foster couple
 

Statistically children in foster care tend to have far more traumatic experiences than most and many are as a result likely to have challenging problems and issues.I think that in that case fostering is for younger fitter parents.This is not being ageist just pragmatic.;)

Re: Court backs decision to bar Homophobic Christian foster couple
 

I bow to your greater knowledge Maggie;)

anyone know any foster parents for my too brats according to them i am officially an oldie :D

Re: Court backs decision to bar Homophobic Christian foster couple
 

But (usually) with age comes greater wisdom?

Re: Court backs decision to bar foster couple
 

I think it was rest bite care they wanted to do.

The danger here is that they could potentially be unsupportive to a child that may think they were gay.

They are applying to work for the local council, and in that they come under the laws of employment.

Re: Court backs decision to bar Homophobic Christian foster couple
 

Well maybe but it's not just wisdom that's required it's a certain amount of stamina as well.It has to be said that sometimes with age comes great inflexibility both physically and mentally.
In other words the older one gets the more set in one's way.

I'm not saying that it's impossible for older people to be foster parents I'm just saying that age as well as certain attitudes can make for a poor combination and their inability to embrace new ideas are possibly because of their age.

Re: Court backs decision to bar foster couple
 

It's always the children that suffer with these decisions, same with the Catholic adoption agencies, I am sure the children in care get a lovely warm feeling inside knowing that they are better of in care than with a loving family...

Re: Court backs decision to bar foster couple
 

Actually the image of a child staying with one foster family all the way through their childhood isn't the case for many.Not only can they be moved from one home to another at a moments notice they can be moved from their school right across counties,indeed hundreds of miles from where they were.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11567058
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8695642.stm

Re: Court backs decision to bar foster couple
 

That kind of misses Daddy's point - the fewer foster caters there are, the more children will have to be cared for in Tracey Beaker style orphanages. Having several sets of foster carers is far from ideal, but growing up in a children's home is even less so.

Sadly we have a situation in this country where the branch of the State that is responsible for children's care has a deep-seated institutional belief that it knows best, to the exclusion of all other thoughts and opinions. In this case that belief now appears to have the backing of case law, which is very unfortunate indeed.

What has happened here is uncomfortably close to defining something as a thought crime IMO. Tolerance of a contrary view or lifestyle does not have to extend to approval of or agreement with that view. So far as we can see, this couple had nothing else against them as far as being foster parents goes. Smply the possibility that if asked, they would be unable to agree with the State's approved view on one aspect of morality. And because of that, there may now be other parents or carers who don't get badly-needed respite care due to there being too few short-term foster caters available.

Re: Court backs decision to bar foster couple
 

I haven't missed the point at all.I'm pointing out that the whole system is if not broken at least out of alignment and that the challenges in being a foster parent should not be underestimated.
I agree about the possible short sightedness in this couple's case but it may not have been the 'only' factor.Age may well have been an unstated reason.

Re: Court backs decision to bar foster couple
 

While I'm no expert on the procedures involved, I suspect "unstated reasons" would be irregular, if not outright unlawful. I'm not sure you have any basis for that supposition.

Re: Court backs decision to bar foster couple
 

You and I can't prove that it can't or won't happen however unlawful.They can and have discriminated on the grounds of smoking,weight,incorrect race in the past.I'm also pretty sure that age has played a part in the past though now age discrimination is now suppose to be an issue of the past and it may be that old habits die hard.

Personally I do think 65 is too old though.Religious and personal differences shouldn't weigh especially in short term fostering.

Re: Court backs decision to bar foster couple
 

No, religious differences should not - but the High Court has ruled that they do, and that is a very significant development.