Fostering

Respite for one of our teens

feeds@yuku.com (JoFoMama) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:54:29 GMT

We were called today to do respite for B who lived with us from the summer of 2008 through the end of the school year last year. She's having lots of issues (not surprisingly) with her dad. The respites are in the middle of the week, which should work out just fine. This will be for this month and next. I think it is for when the dad has to work late or all night. My guess is that B is getting into all sorts of trouble when she has no supervision. She is supposed to come next...

Should we foster?

feeds@yuku.com (felmel) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 13:51:54 GMT

Since A's last shinanigans I have been questioning if we should continue fostering or not. I really want to but I am torn right now. What do y'all think?

Informally fostering

feeds@yuku.com (Rainbow Mom 4) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 21:58:37 GMT

We have been busy around here. Our son's friend from grade school became homeless in November so he is now residing in D's old room. B is 17. He is a good kid, parents both remarried have substance abuse issues.

Example of why he is here: Dad went to jail yesterday for not doing community service, his choice, has been unemployed for months. b told me he has to got "to go and take care of mystep mom since he is in jail (stepmom is a live in RN) me, "why do you...

A baby

feeds@yuku.com (JoFoMama) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:38:53 GMT

It's quite possible that we'll be getting a baby this afternoon/evening. I don't know many details yet. I believe it's a newborn girl. I will update when I know more.

Respite to Foster Care to Adoption

feeds@yuku.com (adoptolder) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 10:41:46 GMT

I thought I had posted this here, but I guess not. We were called out of the blue by our worker in September about providing respite for a 17 year old boy with Aspergers, ADD, ODD & bipolar. We aren't a respite home, nor have we ever done foster care - our adoptions have been straight adoptions. Anyway, the mental health office heard about our home when searching for a respite home for this child, because one of our biggest fans happens to know someone there. They convinced us to...

bedrooms for foster/adoptive children

feeds@yuku.com (felmel) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:42:34 GMT

What type of accomodations do you have for your foster children? Do you have one extra bedroom or more? With our rental we just don't have as much space as the last house. We will have only one bedroom so we can only take one foster child or two who can share.

Housing requirement questions/starting all over in Texas

feeds@yuku.com (felmel) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:42:23 GMT

DH came home this afternoon with a phone number to call for foster care. Shocked me. What are the housing requirements for foster care? We owned our home before and it was rather large so not a concern. Also, is there a problem with fostering if you are renting? My biggest concern is the security bars the owners have on the first floor of this house. (Must be paranoid since no one else int hso neighborhood has them. All the bedrooms are upstairs and we have the emergency ladders....

State Cracking Down On Children's Group Homes

feeds@yuku.com (LavendernOldJeans) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:14:57 GMT

State Cracking Down On Children's Group Homes

By Walter C. Jones
Morris News Service

(10/23/09) Sanctions against the state's private foster homes and group homes are on pace to double this year compared to last year, according to...

Two new ones!

feeds@yuku.com (JoFoMama) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:06:08 GMT

Well, after waiting forever, we got the placement call today. A 6yo girl and 7yo boy. Should arrive soon.

Got the due dillegence searches back....

feeds@yuku.com (preparedforrain) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:28:17 GMT

So....after we got the new kids...you know, the ones from the Wendy's parking lot......I sent in money and forms for due dilligence searches to the paternity registry to see if any sperm donors had come forward for the children. Fat chance but it has to be done.

I finally got the results today, certified results...no man has stepped forward to be named as Daddy for either of our new babies. That means that when we move to adoption in the future, which we plan to do, that we...

We are back at UPDATE 10/17

feeds@yuku.com (Jenamom) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 14:51:23 GMT

The homestudy point they are coming out friday because our kids are out of school anyway. You would think after having 6 of these things done I wouldn't get nervious but I do. UGH and my kids had the flu last week and this week is dentist AND I have a ton to clean. FINGERS crossed, Prayers or whatever you do.

Does anyone care?

feeds@yuku.com (LavendernOldJeans) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:45:48 GMT

A poem written by Nola's older daughter in 2008 (age 11) about what it is like to be in foster care.

Does anyone Care!

It's me in my
closet, shivering with
fear, hearing the screams
and shouting in the background.
Does anyone know me?
Does anyone care?
Why? Why me!?
It seems to me
I will live in pain.
Why!? Does anyone care?
Does anyone know me?
As I live in pain God
watches planning a perfect
plan...

Little ones, finally!

feeds@yuku.com (JoFoMama) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 20:10:13 GMT

I checked my email yesterday to find two from the CWs. In one she is asking us to do respite in August for a sibling group of three, ages 1, 2, and 3. This could lead to something more permanent, unknown still. Then another CW wants us to consider fostering to adopt a 7yo boy and his 3yo sister, which could be an immediate placement. We are also quite interested in learning more about them! I'm more excited about the babies, but DH is more excited about the older boy. We want to...

Foster care-government clinical trials

feeds@yuku.com (LavendernOldJeans) — Fri, 15 May 2009 03:55:28 GMT

1	Active, not recruiting	New foster feeds@yuku.com (JoFoMama2) — Wed, 06 May 2009 15:54:13 GMT We got a new foster yesterday evening. Even after I told DH "no more teens!", he went ahead and accepted one! Apparently, they begged b/c they had no other place to send her. I was annoyed. But she is the tiniest, most petite 16yo that I have ever seen. She's been really quiet and solemn, but I'm getting the picture that she's a bit of a drama queen with friends and family. I had to rename my account b/c I couldn't get in under my old name, not sure... Another RUNAWAY! feeds@yuku.com (JoFoMama) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 20:50:51 GMT C took off with her 30-something year old boyfriend. She and B made up a lie earlier this evening about going to a friend's house, but things just seemed suspicious this evening, so we did some checking up on the girls. B came clean and told us what had happened. We have contacted the police, CWs, etc. The phone has been ringing off the hook this evening. The police have spoken with her and she said that she would come back when she was ready to. The police are trying to track this... Respite feeds@yuku.com (JoFoMama) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 21:30:37 GMT Our CW has asked us to do respite for M, the girl who last year we did a weekend respite for, and then thought was going to live with us. She is now 14, in 7th grade, very developmentally delayed. She got along very well with little K, playing with her toys and so forth. It sounded like it may be ongoing, like every weekend. I'm not sure why her foster family all of a sudden needs respite, except that I heard that the family is in the process of adopting a 7yo, and maybe there are... Exploring new agencies feeds@yuku.com (JoFoMama) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 20:38:33 GMT I finally took the first step in looking for a different fostering agency. Because ours has essentially said that we would never have really young children (because of lack of the very young and because there are so many Amish/Mennonite foster families that can only take the very young), we decided to start looking at other places. I looked around at some private agencies, but didn't find any that seemed to be for us. So then I have contacted two nearby counties that are a bit more... Doesn't understand feeds@yuku.com (Australorpe) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 09:40:45 GMT I don't know what to title this thread really. 8 yo foster has been with us about 6 weeks. We cannot figure this kid out. Requested to see if IQ was low. Is low average. Kid does not understand so much. For instance, child shown a pile of stuff on the floor in bedroom and told to put it in proper places. Week before, the proper places had all been shown. Kid has to be shown 3 times, because there is no comprehension of what to do. When told to put away things (toys,... Finally going to happen! feeds@yuku.com (mamato7) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 08:44:01 GMT I havent been around for awhile but Im back. Two weeks ago we completed our home study and we should be recieving something in the mail any day now saying we are licensed and our home is open. Its been a long time coming and Im really excited and nervous at the same time about getting that first phone call. Any advice ladies? I just want to do everything right.

Active, not recruiting

New foster

feeds@yuku.com (JoFoMama2) — Wed, 06 May 2009 15:54:13 GMT

We got a new foster yesterday evening. Even after I told DH "no more teens!", he went ahead and accepted one! Apparently, they begged b/c they had no other place to send her. I was annoyed. But she is the tiniest, most petite 16yo that I have ever seen. She's been really quiet and solemn, but I'm getting the picture that she's a bit of a drama queen with friends and family.

I had to rename my account b/c I couldn't get in under my old name, not sure...

Another RUNAWAY!

feeds@yuku.com (JoFoMama) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 20:50:51 GMT

C took off with her 30-something year old boyfriend. She and B made up a lie earlier this evening about going to a friend's house, but things just seemed suspicious this evening, so we did some checking up on the girls. B came clean and told us what had happened. We have contacted the police, CWs, etc. The phone has been ringing off the hook this evening. The police have spoken with her and she said that she would come back when she was ready to. The police are trying to track this...

Respite

feeds@yuku.com (JoFoMama) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 21:30:37 GMT

Our CW has asked us to do respite for M, the girl who last year we did a weekend respite for, and then thought was going to live with us. She is now 14, in 7th grade, very developmentally delayed. She got along very well with little K, playing with her toys and so forth. It sounded like it may be ongoing, like every weekend. I'm not sure why her foster family all of a sudden needs respite, except that I heard that the family is in the process of adopting a 7yo, and maybe there are...

Exploring new agencies

feeds@yuku.com (JoFoMama) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 20:38:33 GMT

I finally took the first step in looking for a different fostering agency. Because ours has essentially said that we would never have really young children (because of lack of the very young and because there are so many Amish/Mennonite foster families that can only take the very young), we decided to start looking at other places. I looked around at some private agencies, but didn't find any that seemed to be for us. So then I have contacted two nearby counties that are a bit more...

Doesn't understand

feeds@yuku.com (Australorpe) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 09:40:45 GMT

I don't know what to title this thread really.

8 yo foster has been with us about 6 weeks. We cannot figure this kid out. Requested to see if IQ was low. Is low average. Kid does not understand so much. For instance, child shown a pile of stuff on the floor in bedroom and told to put it in proper places. Week before, the proper places had all been shown. Kid has to be shown 3 times, because there is no comprehension of what to do. When told to put away things (toys,...

Finally going to happen!

feeds@yuku.com (mamato7) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 08:44:01 GMT

I havent been around for awhile but Im back. Two weeks ago we completed our home study and we should be recieving something in the mail any day now saying we are licensed and our home is open. Its been a long time coming and Im really excited and nervous at the same time about getting that first phone call. Any advice ladies? I just want to do everything right.