So, how was it?

We attended our 1st training class last night. While it was 3hrs in a hot, bright, chair-to-chair room - it was encouraging to see and hear the different stories and backgrounds of people who are lending their hearts to such a wonderful "profession". Yes, I said "profession". Our instructor let us know that we will be considered professionals - in a field where we are providing services for the state of Indiana and should be treated as such. So, that was good to hear. I never really thought about it as a "profession", but it is good to hear that we can call it such and not feel guilty for doing so. In the beginning of class we had a meet-and-greet sort of thing where we had to find someone not directly near us (I think we cheated the rules a tad :) haha) and ask them all sorts of questions. We met a mom of 4 older children who was looking to foster age range 6-10. She seemed like a really nice person and just in the few moments of talking with her, we could really tell she was there because she was called to be. Some people in the room I might give a different opinion of, but no one is asking, so I will keep it zipped on that issue. :)

Next we had to watch a video - a very disturbing video for our 1st class I will say. It was about a boy who had been through the foster care system basically his whole life - from the age of 4 when he was taken from his bio parents, to the age of 17 when he committed suicide at the last home he was cared for at. This young man had been in 16 foster homes and 4 group homes by the age of 17... you do the math... Still at the age of 17 he had a bed-wetting problem... Psychiatric problems, etc. It was not until he reached his pre-teens that he experienced a real hug from an adult - and that was provided by a nurse in the hospital he was sent to due to a suicide attempt. You are probably thinking "man this little boy was disturbed..." Well, of course he was, he was taken from his parents and separated from his siblings, moved from home to home because these 'foster parents' couldn't handle the bed-wetting problem, made to work to "earn" his place at certain homes, abused, neglected, made to sleep in a basement with 1 1/2 inches of water on the floor and on a mattress only 1 foot off the floor with a single hanging light bulb above him for light... I'm pretty sure the disturbed individuals in this kids life were the system, the so-called foster parents, the teachers and doctors in and out of his life who over-looked the signals he was sending that he needed help. He wrote a diary, which they read throughout the video, that told his story. This little boy was so articulate with his writing and had so much potential you just wonder why did no one see this? Why did no one take the time to help draw that out of him and help him become the person he knew he was capable of being? (sigh...) But anyway when he finally took his life, his foster father at that time took pictures of his body hanging from the trees in the back yard - while we thought at first "what?!?! what kind of sick person does that?!?!?!" - it was only because of him taking those photos did this little boy's story get attention and did the laws begin to change to protect children in a more efficient manner. So, for a 1st class that was rough!!!

We also learned a few basics of the foster/adopt/kinship differences. Since we are solely interested in foster care at this time, that is what I will probably only discuss in this blog. Like the fact that if an emergency arises and the foster child needs surgery or immediate medical attention - it is the judge and caseworker who decide if treatment is necessary. If the child needs a regular doctor check-up that is a responsibility of the foster parents (obviously). If the child wants to be put on birth control or get a nose piercing or tattoo (something permanent) who would you think would decide yes or no? - the judge or caseworker... Now for the catch 22 - if the foster parent takes the foster child to get a hair cut and the child refuses to get a haircut who would you assume would make that decision? (I was thinking foster parents...) Well, that decision, my dear friends, would be made by the bio parents... that's right - the parents who couldn't take care of the child in the first place - gets to choose whether or not the child gets a haircut!?!??!?!? This is because it gives the parent a small input in the child's life to make them still feel like a parent. Which makes total sense but doesn't make any at the same time... And, so, here we go... And we are diving in head first...
~Amanda