Comments for Reflections on Foster Care

Comment on Educating Seth by chelleyau

chelleyau — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:24:51 +0000

Just wondering how you are?

Comment on Educating Seth by Linda

Linda — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 16:01:46 +0000

It sounds like you are doing what the school needs to be doing for Seth to be successful. Needing the physical breaks, shorter work periods, this is what my Andrew has in his school. But he is in all special ed with an aide going with him and 3-4 others when in social mainstream classes. Who knows what the break from school will do for him. Maybe it’ll give him the break he needs to build up his self-esteem. It sounds as though he is very successful with you. It sounds like you are in a tough place to be as far as school goes–you know what he needs. Keep fighting for his rights. You know him best! You’ve done a wonderful job!

Comment on Educating Seth by Torina

Torina — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 17:32:56 +0000

Wow, what a challenge!

Comment on Update on Angel by Momma Chaos

Momma Chaos — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:14:18 +0000

First of all UGH @ the RU process.. It irritates me to no end when kids seem to linger in the system. He’s been in care over a year now & Gma would rather go on vacation for a month than finish up the RU process to get him home?!! Yes I completely understand needing a vacation- lord knows I need one from time to time- but if my child (or grandchild) were in fostercare, I’d be doing whatever I could to hurry up and get them home.. UGH!

As for the car riding- sadly I know just the scream you are talking of.. Spoiled Princess used to have the very same one! I’m happy to say (while knocking on wood) that she seems to have gotten over that.. Our tricks for car trips other than what AnnMarie said above is -Magnadoodles & aquadoodle color books. Both my little ones love to draw & either option is mess free!
Good luck!

Comment on Update on Angel by AnnMarie

AnnMarie — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:08:12 +0000

Our choice for similar rides was to start a few hours before bedtime and drive the entire night. Our DD HATES to sleep in the car, so this entailed an hour or so of screaming, but then she passed out all night long.

Thankfully, the last time we did this, she was almost 3.5 and we went in the day and she managed to take naps, for the first time ever in the car!

Comment on Developing a Conscience by Christine

Christine — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 04:45:06 +0000

Interesting. I have a daughter with FAS and so I took great interest in reading this.

Comment on Update on Angel by Christine

Christine — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 04:43:08 +0000

Wow! Foster care seems really hard to me. I can’t believe that after so much time they would still consider reunification. You are an amazing woman.

Comment on A boy and his bike by Torina

Torina — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 04:46:41 +0000

I am SO jealous that your kid can be trusted with other kids! That is so great! Freedom for him and freedom for YOU. Tara is 13 and we only just recently started allowing her to ride her bike, alone, to the other end of our property. We live on a dead-end dirt road with only two other homes. So far…so good. But she doesn’t pay attention to what she is doing and could easily end up in the ditch if a bug flew by or a raindrop fell. My 5 yr old, on the other hand, I can trust to ride anywhere on his own. It is amazing because he was exposed to more alcohol than she was in utero and he is not nearly as affected…

Comment on A boy and his bike by chelley

chelley — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 10:42:14 +0000

first off I thought you had disapeared!! I would come to look but all I got was errors!
SO glad that you are back!!!!

There is such a super fine line for letting our kids gain more and more freedom and there is that part of you that would love to LOCK them up till about 30!!!! LOL!! Really sounds like Seth had a great time out on his bike!!!

I would love to learn more about FASD I know a carer here that is really trying to get info but hasnt had much luck!!

Comment on Two babies: too many! by Sassy

Sassy — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:15:12 +0000

As someone who spent a brief time as a foster carer in Melbourne, I think honesty is a big issue between agencies and foster carers. We were told so many things that were blatantly not true that it muddled the (already complex) situation.

I also found it terribly insulting that we weren’t taken seriously when we reported neglect and abuse although all of our reports were later acknowledged as true. Our dealings with the police, SOCA, DHS, CPS and the agency were strained too as each accused each other of incompetence, telling us that we should have done things differently and not wanting us to talk to the other.

They are some of the reasons that we felt we were in an impossible situation and we didn’t feel comfortable caring for another child. What would we do if we suspected another child of being abused when nothing was done the first time? On top of that, since we decided to pursue local adoption we’ve been told by DHS that they don’t want us to do foster care now or at any time in the future if we want to adopt as part of the Local Infant Adoption Program.

After all of that I can understand why there’s a shortage of carers.