A MOTHER'S bid to become a foster parent could be over before it starts – because she faces losing her home.
Margaret Scott asked Derbyshire County Council in early January if she could become a foster mum and was told she would be welcome.
But only two weeks later, her housing association, Three Valleys, said she would have to move out of her Breaston home because the three-bedroomed property was too large for her.
It said it had to make "difficult decisions" about allocating its resources and where to house its tenants.
But the move would scupper her chances of fostering, because she would no longer have a spare bedroom. Mrs Scott, 59, said she was "disgusted" by the ruling.
The tenant, who has two grown-up sons, had looked after her ill mother at the house in Hills Road for seven years, until her death in December.
She said she had first considered fostering eight years ago and only decided not take it any further after her mum fell ill.
She once again applied to become a foster mum in January, following the death of her mother in December.
An angry Mrs Scott, who has two grown-up sons, one of whom lives with her in the house, said: "At the end of the day I have saved the government thousands of pounds looking after my mother. I feel they think she has done her job, now let's get her out of the house. I feel like I've been let down really badly."
A spokesman for Derbyshire County Council said: "We are always looking for people to become foster carers and welcome the interest shown by Mrs Scott.
"We do not normally pursue applications until a number of basic criteria – a secure tenancy, good health and some experience of caring for children – are in place. Until we are sure that these criteria have been met we are not able to progress any application."
Mrs Scott has launched an appeal against the decision but has yet to hear whether that has been successful.
Three Valleys said it had agreed to allow Mrs Scott to succeed to the tenancy, but not in the house she is in, because it was being under-used. A spokesman said: "We have asked for additional information regarding the fostering issue in order to be as fair as we can be in reviewing the original decision."
He added: "These are always difficult decisions and sadly we do have to balance our desire to help Mrs Scott with our duty to allocate our resources to best meet the needs of the overall community we serve."
Labour activist Helen Clark came across Mrs Scott's situation while canvassing for the recent local elections and took up fighting her case.
She said: "Mrs Scott's attempts to foster and have the dignity of work will be entirely scuppered if she is forced to leave her home to re-locate to a flat she knows not where."
Margaret Orchard, the Conservative borough councillor for Breaston, said: "It seems morally wrong somewhere along the line.
"It is terrible for someone who wants to take in a child is impeded in this way.
"There has to be some leeway."
The MP for Erewash, Jessica Lee, said she would look into the matter.
Three Valleys added: "We would provide help and support to Mrs Scott to find suitable alternative property.
"We have reasonable numbers of properties which would be suitable."
700 NEED HOMES:THERE are 700 children in Derbyshire who are looking for foster homes and across the country at least 9,000 families are needed to provide accommodation.
An annual event called Fostering Fortnight is running to encourage people to become foster parents.
Ian Thomas, county strategic director of children and younger adults, said: ''We always need more foster carers across Derbyshire. We're looking for people from all walks of life to come forward and find out if they have what it takes to become a foster carer."
The county council offers its foster carers benefits, support and training. There are also financial allowances.
For more information, call the council on: 0800 083 7744 or visit www.derbyshire.gov.uk/adoptionandfostering.
