I received an e-mail from our casemanager yesterday asking us if we were going to their foster parent appreciation dinner next week. Hmmm.... My first response was no, we're not foster parents yet but then realized that would probably not be the best response. Since work is still crazy for me, there is no way we'd be able to go even if we wanted to. Plus, I can only imagine how conversations would go.
person: Oh, tell us about the kiddo placed with you.
us: well, we're not even licensed yet so we don't have a child placed with us. We're not foster parents yet.
person: Oh...um, ok well hope you have a good time a the foster parent appreciation dinner.
Maybe I'm over thinking it but I imagine that there will be lots of conversations about the kiddos that are placed with the foster parents, funny stories, etc. I don't know if that would be the right place for us right now. We are so anxious to be licensed, so excited to be matched with a kiddo, and very disappointed that we're in this holding pattern. Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that they do this dinner and nice that they invited us. I think I'm just all in all frustrated right now. Plus, when I received the e-mail she had replied to an e-mail that I had sent her with 2 questions and she didn't even respond to the 2 questions. Oh...and she still hasn't. I know they're busy but sometimes just a little communication can go a long way...even if she doesn't know the answer. "I don't know the answer but will see what I can find out"
*Sigh* I guess whatever is supposed to happen will....eventually.
Showing posts with label foster care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label foster care. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
Quick update
We had our 2nd mtg. today. She met with each of us individually and then met with us together. I think it went really well. She said our families are boring(in a joking way) as we don't have any criminals, drug or alcohol abuse going on with our families. We have our last meeting as well as home inspection next Monday! YEAH! She said after that, she'd right up the homestudy and get it to us to review. we're almost done! YEAH!!!!!
Homestudy meeting #2 is this morning
We will be having the 2nd of 3 meetings this morning. YEAH!!! She will meet with each of us individually today. We're not as nervous this time, hopefully that's a good thing. =) We found on Friday that some of the classes that we took online aren't going to count towards our intial certification. Now we have to scramble to find 3 more classes to take. I think I've found 3 that will work and e-mailed the director about the classes. If they all are ok, we'll be very busy the next 3 weeks with classes! We really want to get everything done by the end of the month or at the very latest right before we go on vacation. Ok, time to do last minute spot check.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
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.
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.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
First meeting tomorrow night!
I'm going to our first meeting tomorrow night to start the foster to adopt process. YEAH!!! Andy and I will start the classes probably after the first of the year. I talked to the supervisor of the Recruiting Unit a couple of days ago and she said they will work with us and Andy's crazy work schedule..woo hoo! I also had to make sure there wasn't a conflict since I used to work for this same Dept of Human Services. We were looking online at some of the kids who are currently waiting for their forever family. It's sad that there are so many kids that need homes and there aren't forever families for all of them! We did e-mail about one of the kids so hopefully we'll get some information from the caseworker soon. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we start this journey.
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