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Foster Families in decline
#5
We too have stopped doing foster care for the time being. Dealing with the "agency people" is miserable, reimbursement was cut drastically this year and the ultimate problem is the kids parent(s). They are removed because the parent(s) have dysfunctional lives. The mandate from the state to reunite is missing the link that the parent(s) need to be rehabbed FIRST. It is unlikely that the parent(s) will change their lives for the most part, but the kids are reunited anyway, either by moving them back in or with extended visits to the parent. Every foster child that we have had in the last 4 years has ended up back in the system after reunification with family. The goal to keep families together is a fine goal but the reality of that goal is that an underfunded and understaffed system is administering a program that just doesn't work. We hear from the school how well a child is doing, only to get a call within a week or two of parent reunification letting us know of the disaster the child has become.

We were amazed that we caught flack when we objected to the program arranging a "SKILLS TRAINER" (an under 30 person to take the kid out to the mall, play basketball, etc which they call social skills training, as if we kept them locked up 7 days a week!) for 5-8 PM on Monday evenings. I told them, "it's a school night, he has homework, he gets home on the bus between 3:30 and 4, He's add and needs a break for a bit when he gets home after a long day, he goes to bed by 9; there isn't time". They insisted, then wanted me to give him cash to go out to dinner with the trainer. I put my foot down. They had a fit. I got my way but imagine the other grief they gave me . If they felt they needed to have him out in evenings without us, I suggested Friday or Saturday nights. I was informed it wasn't convenient for the skills trainer. Uh, since when is convenience for the adult part of "therapy" for the kid? I asked about homework and they suggested he could "do it in the car with the skills trainer". The whole thing was absurd.

Indeed, we worked with a special program. We jumped through a ton of hoops every week but at least we got a decent reimbursement. I understand that in the "regular" foster system, the support reimbursement is limited to less than $600/child. Ever try to feed, clothe and transport a child for that? I couldn't do it, that is for sure. Granted we feed well, make sure they have good and socially equalizing wardrobes and keep them active, but isn't that what the parenting roll includes?

We are taking a break because it just breaks our hearts. I don't know what we will do in the long run. All I know is we saw a broken system trying to fix broken kids by returning them to broken households. Ugh!

I want to be the kind of woman that, when my feet
hit the floor each morning, the devil says

"Oh Crap, She's up!"
I want to be the kind of woman that, when my feet
hit the floor each morning, the devil says

"Oh Crap, She's up!"
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Messages In This Thread
Foster Families in decline - by Rob Tucker - 01-02-2011, 05:01 AM
RE: Foster Families in decline - by KeaauRich - 01-02-2011, 07:19 AM
RE: Foster Families in decline - by Bullwinkle - 01-03-2011, 01:08 AM
RE: Foster Families in decline - by csgray - 01-03-2011, 03:25 AM
RE: Foster Families in decline - by pslamont - 01-03-2011, 05:12 AM
RE: Foster Families in decline - by Radiopeg - 01-03-2011, 01:06 PM
RE: Foster Families in decline - by spunky - 01-03-2011, 05:02 PM
RE: Foster Families in decline - by Bullwinkle - 01-04-2011, 02:35 AM

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