First class done...sort of

We had our first class on Friday to start the foster to adopt process. We were both very excited and ready to get this going! The instructors were great! Lots of experience and lots of information that will be very valuable. Bad part is that Andy started feeling crummy yesterday. We made it through the 4 hours last night and the first 4 hours today. When we had the lunch break, I realized how miserable Andy was feeling. It should have been obvious by the fact he sounded like Darth Vader when breathing as well as looked like Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. Poor guy could barely keep his eyes open and just looked pitiful. After talking with the instructor, we decided to leave and we'll make up the afternoon part the next time it goes around. Andy was so worried that this would slow us down that he was only willing to leave after he asked me like 10 times if I was sure it was ok to go. Since we got home, he's been crashed on the couch dozing off and on. I don't think I've ever seen him this sick. Hopefully he'll feel better soon!

On Monday, I'm going to call and schedule us for the make up portion. We are scheduled for another class on 12/1. We have to have somewhere between 24-30 hours in order to be certified. From what I understand, we can do some online classes as well. I just have to say that after the class last night and today, both of us know that this is definitely what we want to do now as well as in the future. Some of the people in the class have been foster parents in other states or just taking the class again for a refresher. They are amazing! One couple has had 35 foster kids in 5 years. AMAZING! There are so many kids who are in situation where they end up being removed from their home and just need a good, safe place to go. Sometimes it's a temporary thing, sometimes they end up with their "forever family". Right now, we're only wanting to do foster to adopt but in the future I think we'll look at doing just foster care.

It's sad that there are so many kids who need foster homes and there aren't enough foster homes for placements of kids. Can you imagine being 6, being abused by your parents, being removed from the home, and then not knowing where you are going to go? Are you going to end up with an amazing foster family who will end up making you feel safe, helping you realize that the abuse wasn't your fault, and help put the small pieces back together to make you whole again? OR Are you going to end up with a foster parent who is a foster parent for all the wrong reasons and may end up abusing you just like you were abused by your parents or do things that were even worse? It's sad that those type of foster homes exist but unfortunately they do.

These classes have really made me think and realize how lucky I am...I could have been one of those kids. I was in a foster home for 5 months and then my parents adopted me. I can't even imagine how my life would be if they hadn't adopted me. I could have been one of those kids who spend their whole life bouncing from one foster home to another, never having a "real" family, and wondering what I did that was so bad that I couldn't even have a "real" family. Does that happen? Yep, I had a few kids when I was a caseworker who had been in the foster care system for the majority of their life. They moved from one foster home to another..taking their belongings in a trash bag. Once they turned the magic age of 18, they were on their own...no family to help them when things were rough, no family to spend the holidays with, and no home to run to when they needed a hug. There are several kids that were on my caseload that I still wonder where they are now and wonder if they are safe.

Ok, I've been rambling on a bit but all of this makes me want to do more. It makes me want to tell everyone that I know that at some point they should be a foster parent. Just give a little something back to those who need it the most...KIDS! It's not their fault that their parents can't take care of them. It's tough at times to a foster parent but if it makes a difference in that child's life wouldn't it be worth it?? Just something to think about.