Foster Care Controversy

In response to our opinion piece on the recent Question Time programme which was broadcast on March 3rd, 2011, Stuart Russon writes,

'Following the media frenzy over the Derbyshire couple who weren't allowed to foster because of their religious/homophobic views and following your short article about this programme I was struck - without commenting on the moral dilemma itself - by the general view that seemed to pervade most on the Question Time panel and audience when discussing it. The consensus seemed to be that because the child was under 10 that the religious/homophobic views of the foster parents didn't really matter as the child was too young to be influenced (or "is too young to be considering such adult themes"). Now I've always thought that a child of that age is most susceptible to influence and so it does matter. The child WILL be influenced by the thinking/views of the foster parents and this at a possibly critical time in the child's development. Watching the programme was one of those times when I realise how out of kilter I am with public opinion, as I thought, with all due respect to the couple involved, that it was the right decision although the Question Time audience thought otherwise'.

First posted on the goodenoughcaring home page  on March 9th, 2011 at http://www.goodenoughcaring.com  where you have access to many articles about childhood, child care, nurture, parenting, children in care, social pedagogy and therapeutic child care.