That says (paraphrased), "We've scheduled a meeting with the bio family in question to discuss the home study and direction of this case. All decision makers will be there and we would like you to attend. It's in less than 2 weeks."
My heart is racing. I've never met this family before and here we go...
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Adoption Update, it's about time!
I profusely apologize for having taken so long updating this blog. I kept thinking, I'll have bigger news to share, but as the days pass it seems we are still in the same place. Of course, looking back at the last post, I know we have come a long way.
At the end of July, baby girl's parents were taken to Mediation in lieu of going to trial. Both parents relinquished their rights that day. When I heard the news, I sobbed for hours. I just sat on the floor with baby girl and watched her laugh and crawl and my heart ached for her, her parents, and her biological family who will never know the joy she brings. I ended up crying off and on for days.
It was unimaginable how parents who have met her, and held her could choose to never see her again. There are so many negative things we could say about her parents, but we believe a part of their hearts was stripped away when they signed away baby girl. I have been told the decision was easier for these parents because they knew me and were happy to have her be with our family. That made me cry harder. In many ways I feel so unworthy of the gift of this precious girl. My heart feels this unspoken communication between her mom and me. That somehow she is saying she trusts me and knows we will love baby girl deeply and forever. I have to believe her mother thought of baby girl and not just herself when she made that final decision.
The next bit of news came when we learned her father requested, at the time he relinquished his rights, for some of his family to be considered as a permanent home for baby girl. It took 3 months for a home study to be completed on them, due to the bio family's hold ups. It was excruciating to wait. Technically a home study can be expedited, and should have been in this case, and only taken a month. As baby girl gets older, we all get more attached. She more than any of us. A court hearing came and went during that time, and baby girl's stay with us as a foster child was been extended.
I had chosen to not attend any hearings up to that point. But now that the case is moving in a different direction, I wanted to hear for myself what happens in court and meet the judge. Attending her hearing was eye opening, to say the least. I saw just how big the world of CPS is. The number of kids talked about in that court, on that day, in the short amount of time I was there was mind boggling. And, that happens every day, all week. All of those sweet children who have been harmed for no reason of their own. I sat quietly and prayed for each one mentioned. My heart was full when I heard baby girl's lawyer and CPS state multiple times that they believe it it is in her best interest to stay in her current home. They said they will consider the family, but will equally weigh what is in the child's best interest, and again they agreed it was in her best interest to stay with us permanently. I then was introduced to the judge, which was short and sweet. I didn't realize how much I needed to see this part of her story so that I can attempt to more fully understand the system in which she is coming through.
It was good talking to baby girl's lawyer before the court hearing. She said that people think the hardest part is when you first accept a child into your home. All the unknowns. But she has seen the hardest part for foster families is the end. The endless waiting. The hurry up to the next step and wait some more. I completely agree.
A month passed, and we then heard that her case was officially moving to Adoption within CPS. There is lots and lots of paperwork involved in that process, and given the sheer volume of cases, we understood why it took so long, though it didn't make the waiting easier. This was a huge step forward in providing her a permanent home. At that point in time, she had been with us 13 months. She is very much our family.
I had the pleasure of meeting our Adoption case worker a few weeks ago. Her first words of greeting were, "So, this case just got complicated." Apparently there was a technicality in the wording of the Mediation report concerning the home study completed on the bio family. She explained, we are now looking at an addition 3-6 months of waiting until baby girl can be permanently adopted. Our caseworker is going to try hard to see if the parties involved in the decision making can agree that it is 'in the child's best interest' to stay with us, and circumvent the extra time, work, and heartache involved in fixing that oversight. Talk about a blow to our timeline. The waiting continues.
At this point, we honestly are starting to feel a bit weary. We are definitely not throwing a pity party for ourselves by any means, but we are now 14 months into fostering and we are missing some things we previously took for granted. We see our friends being able to, what we consider, 'move about life freely' and we can easily become envious of their freedom.
Namely, we are missing the convenience of being able to hire a babysitter to watch our kids. Any one who watches foster kiddos in the state of Texas has to be certified through a particular agency to watch kids within that agency. There is no 'sharing of babysitters' between agencies.
We have a few family members out of town and 3 friends in town who have taken that big step for us, and we are very grateful for the times they have watched our kiddos, planned and in an emergency.
But, to be able to ring up a paid sitter for an event or a date night is not an option. Or if we hear of an event and think, oh I'd like to go to that, we have to just as quickly push that thought aside. We feel more tied to our kids and home than ever before. We have found deeper joy in being together as a family since the possibility of being apart is very limited, but we do miss having our alone time as a couple and the connection that comes from giving each other our undivided attention.
I just want to be real here. Please just know I am sharing our reality within fostering. I'm not complaining, as we knew the parameters when we signed up, but in living it out, it can be hard and trying. We would not change a single decision we have made. Our marriage is stronger because of our commitment together, and our kids are better for all of this as well. We gladly sacrifice for baby girl and hold fast that our sacrifice will reap great rewards for her.
Thanks for following us on our journey!
At the end of July, baby girl's parents were taken to Mediation in lieu of going to trial. Both parents relinquished their rights that day. When I heard the news, I sobbed for hours. I just sat on the floor with baby girl and watched her laugh and crawl and my heart ached for her, her parents, and her biological family who will never know the joy she brings. I ended up crying off and on for days.
It was unimaginable how parents who have met her, and held her could choose to never see her again. There are so many negative things we could say about her parents, but we believe a part of their hearts was stripped away when they signed away baby girl. I have been told the decision was easier for these parents because they knew me and were happy to have her be with our family. That made me cry harder. In many ways I feel so unworthy of the gift of this precious girl. My heart feels this unspoken communication between her mom and me. That somehow she is saying she trusts me and knows we will love baby girl deeply and forever. I have to believe her mother thought of baby girl and not just herself when she made that final decision.
The next bit of news came when we learned her father requested, at the time he relinquished his rights, for some of his family to be considered as a permanent home for baby girl. It took 3 months for a home study to be completed on them, due to the bio family's hold ups. It was excruciating to wait. Technically a home study can be expedited, and should have been in this case, and only taken a month. As baby girl gets older, we all get more attached. She more than any of us. A court hearing came and went during that time, and baby girl's stay with us as a foster child was been extended.
I had chosen to not attend any hearings up to that point. But now that the case is moving in a different direction, I wanted to hear for myself what happens in court and meet the judge. Attending her hearing was eye opening, to say the least. I saw just how big the world of CPS is. The number of kids talked about in that court, on that day, in the short amount of time I was there was mind boggling. And, that happens every day, all week. All of those sweet children who have been harmed for no reason of their own. I sat quietly and prayed for each one mentioned. My heart was full when I heard baby girl's lawyer and CPS state multiple times that they believe it it is in her best interest to stay in her current home. They said they will consider the family, but will equally weigh what is in the child's best interest, and again they agreed it was in her best interest to stay with us permanently. I then was introduced to the judge, which was short and sweet. I didn't realize how much I needed to see this part of her story so that I can attempt to more fully understand the system in which she is coming through.
It was good talking to baby girl's lawyer before the court hearing. She said that people think the hardest part is when you first accept a child into your home. All the unknowns. But she has seen the hardest part for foster families is the end. The endless waiting. The hurry up to the next step and wait some more. I completely agree.
A month passed, and we then heard that her case was officially moving to Adoption within CPS. There is lots and lots of paperwork involved in that process, and given the sheer volume of cases, we understood why it took so long, though it didn't make the waiting easier. This was a huge step forward in providing her a permanent home. At that point in time, she had been with us 13 months. She is very much our family.
I had the pleasure of meeting our Adoption case worker a few weeks ago. Her first words of greeting were, "So, this case just got complicated." Apparently there was a technicality in the wording of the Mediation report concerning the home study completed on the bio family. She explained, we are now looking at an addition 3-6 months of waiting until baby girl can be permanently adopted. Our caseworker is going to try hard to see if the parties involved in the decision making can agree that it is 'in the child's best interest' to stay with us, and circumvent the extra time, work, and heartache involved in fixing that oversight. Talk about a blow to our timeline. The waiting continues.
At this point, we honestly are starting to feel a bit weary. We are definitely not throwing a pity party for ourselves by any means, but we are now 14 months into fostering and we are missing some things we previously took for granted. We see our friends being able to, what we consider, 'move about life freely' and we can easily become envious of their freedom.
Namely, we are missing the convenience of being able to hire a babysitter to watch our kids. Any one who watches foster kiddos in the state of Texas has to be certified through a particular agency to watch kids within that agency. There is no 'sharing of babysitters' between agencies.
We have a few family members out of town and 3 friends in town who have taken that big step for us, and we are very grateful for the times they have watched our kiddos, planned and in an emergency.
But, to be able to ring up a paid sitter for an event or a date night is not an option. Or if we hear of an event and think, oh I'd like to go to that, we have to just as quickly push that thought aside. We feel more tied to our kids and home than ever before. We have found deeper joy in being together as a family since the possibility of being apart is very limited, but we do miss having our alone time as a couple and the connection that comes from giving each other our undivided attention.
I just want to be real here. Please just know I am sharing our reality within fostering. I'm not complaining, as we knew the parameters when we signed up, but in living it out, it can be hard and trying. We would not change a single decision we have made. Our marriage is stronger because of our commitment together, and our kids are better for all of this as well. We gladly sacrifice for baby girl and hold fast that our sacrifice will reap great rewards for her.
Thanks for following us on our journey!
Sunday, July 12, 2015
Summer Update
I realize for many of you, this is the only way you are able to keep up with our fostering journey. I feel like I see so many friends on a regular basis and share with them face to face, but of course the more praying for us and Sweetie, the better.
Our Sweetie turned 1! She is crawling, getting into everything, and is sleeping through the night! Hooray!!! She is such an easy baby. She rarely fusses, and loves to make us laugh with her silly faces. She is an absolute delight. In some ways I feel like I haven't had the full foster parent experience because none of this feels so overwhelming or horrendous or any of the other words I had heard concerning foster parenting. I think too that's because she is a baby and we haven't experienced the really tough parenting challenges that come from bringing an older child into your home.
I'm sorry to leave you with such a heavy last post, but the news now has changed. Such is the nature of foster care, I've learned. Unfortunately, Sweetie's mom has taken a turn for the worst and has declined contact with her for over a month now. She is a no show for visits, or she cancels the morning of, or now she just fails to confirm them at all. She also continues to test positive for drug use. I do not know specifically what. I fear she is in a really bad place. We pray for her safety and a softened heart towards the things that matter.
All of that means, that despite the upswing her mom had in the spring, she is proving to the court that she is not capable of providing a safe home for Sweetie. We have a court date later this month in which we will learn if Sweetie is getting one step closer to becoming adopted (by us) or her stay will be prolonged with us, up to 6 months, to give her mom time to get clean and in a safe place.
It's a bit much to think about. I really just take it one day at a time. I see no reason to get all emotional about it. It has nothing to do with me. We as foster parents have no say in any of this, other than letting CPS know that we would be willing to adopt her.
I'm most struggling with the thought of being an adoptive parent. I know it's sounds unbelievable, but we really hadn't prepared ourselves for this part. We believed that our home would become a revolving door for babies in foster care, and we were happy to provide that. The thought of being a forever family to a foster child, well it's at our doorstep now.
Since the case is rapidly changing at this stage, I'll try to do a better job at keeping up this blog. I'm not really doing our foster journey justice through it, but I hope it's giving you a small glimpse into our lives.
Always feel free to message me any questions!
Our Sweetie turned 1! She is crawling, getting into everything, and is sleeping through the night! Hooray!!! She is such an easy baby. She rarely fusses, and loves to make us laugh with her silly faces. She is an absolute delight. In some ways I feel like I haven't had the full foster parent experience because none of this feels so overwhelming or horrendous or any of the other words I had heard concerning foster parenting. I think too that's because she is a baby and we haven't experienced the really tough parenting challenges that come from bringing an older child into your home.
I'm sorry to leave you with such a heavy last post, but the news now has changed. Such is the nature of foster care, I've learned. Unfortunately, Sweetie's mom has taken a turn for the worst and has declined contact with her for over a month now. She is a no show for visits, or she cancels the morning of, or now she just fails to confirm them at all. She also continues to test positive for drug use. I do not know specifically what. I fear she is in a really bad place. We pray for her safety and a softened heart towards the things that matter.
All of that means, that despite the upswing her mom had in the spring, she is proving to the court that she is not capable of providing a safe home for Sweetie. We have a court date later this month in which we will learn if Sweetie is getting one step closer to becoming adopted (by us) or her stay will be prolonged with us, up to 6 months, to give her mom time to get clean and in a safe place.
It's a bit much to think about. I really just take it one day at a time. I see no reason to get all emotional about it. It has nothing to do with me. We as foster parents have no say in any of this, other than letting CPS know that we would be willing to adopt her.
I'm most struggling with the thought of being an adoptive parent. I know it's sounds unbelievable, but we really hadn't prepared ourselves for this part. We believed that our home would become a revolving door for babies in foster care, and we were happy to provide that. The thought of being a forever family to a foster child, well it's at our doorstep now.
Since the case is rapidly changing at this stage, I'll try to do a better job at keeping up this blog. I'm not really doing our foster journey justice through it, but I hope it's giving you a small glimpse into our lives.
Always feel free to message me any questions!
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Hello Scrutiny, come on in
I'm writing from a low point right now. We have now been fostering Sweetie for 6 months and are coming to the climax of her case. Some of the nostalgia has worn off and it feels like we're in the trenches. She is definitely not a tiny, sleeping all the time baby anymore. My free time is rather non existent as I juggle actively parenting 3 kiddos, managing the required paperwork, answering the weekly calls and emails, attending required trainings, and pursuing needed further medical therapy
for Sweetie. There have been a few things I wasn't prepared for in this journey.
First, I wasn't aware how much my care of her would be scrutinized. Sometimes uncomfortably, and definitely more often than I was with our bio boys. This week Sweetie was evaluated for ECI services. After the 2 hour visit with 3 staff members, I was emotionally spent. I know it is all routine and needed for her benefit, but to walk through my entire day with her from wake up to bedtime in detail and analyze each area with strengths and weaknesses made me uneasy, sometimes defensive, and emotional.
For me the hard part of being a foster parent is the constant psycho analyzing that takes place, externally to a degree but more as I become aware of the information. So much literature and training is out there concerning healthy attachment, answering every cry, keeping them extra close, brain development and behavioral cues all because of their prior trauma. On the one hand, I felt confident caring for a baby because I felt I parented successfully two boys. However, a traumatized baby is a whole new ball game. They don't settle as easily, are not attached to me obviously the same as our boys, may never sleep as deeply as a healthy child. I know all of this can change over time as the child experiences healthy attachment, parenting etc, but we're at the beginning of that journey.
With our boys, I spent too many hours trying to figure them out, only to end almost every day of their baby stage feeling like a complete failure. With fostering, I feel doubly so. With weekly and monthly meetings where I have to rehash so much of my relationship with her, activities, strengths and weakness, there are plenty of opportunities for me to feel like I'm not doing enough for her.
It's ok sometimes to remind myself that she is in a safe place, a better home than she would have been, she has brothers who adore her, but of course I'm not content with just that. I want her brain to learn deep trust and attachment. I want her to sleep on a schedule for her own health benefits, as well as for her mom, so she can think more rationally when and if she has to care for Sweetie by herself. I want to give all I can to heal her while she is in our care. She's worth the exhaustion and sometimes mental anguish of all of it. I'm just at a place where it feels overwhelming. I just needed to share that.
As for an update on her case, as so many dear friends are so wonderful at asking, she is on the path to being reunited with her mother by the end of the case. Her mother is doing many of the things she needs to do to get her back. Her visitations have been increased. We are preparing the boys that she will be leaving us within the next 4 months. We praise God that he is healing her mom so that she can care for Sweetie. We pray for Sweetie that she knows how much God loves her and has a plan for her. We thank God for allowing us to care for her and being part of her story. We thank God for the ability to care for babies in need and that he would prepare us for the next girl (as very much requested by the boys) who comes into our home.
In addition to the above, it's a lot to process right now. I think I'm putting a lot of urgency on myself because of her timeline with us. It's a weird limbo of wanting to start grieving the loss of her, but also intenstly loving her to deeper healing.
This is where my own baggage comes in. I emotionally detach I am faced with relational pain, and that is absolutely the wrong response here. Fostering has been an incredible growth process for myself and our family. I would not do anything differently. If Sweetie returns home as she is intended, we fully plan on fostering again. We have decided to take a few months break in between kiddos to catch up on sleep, give our boys some extra attention (and do big kid stuff we haven't been able to do), and allow ourselves to process the experience. While it's hard and I feel run down right now, I know our God is greater than any emotion, thought, or circumstance. Just because it's hard, doesn't mean it's not the right path.
for Sweetie. There have been a few things I wasn't prepared for in this journey.
First, I wasn't aware how much my care of her would be scrutinized. Sometimes uncomfortably, and definitely more often than I was with our bio boys. This week Sweetie was evaluated for ECI services. After the 2 hour visit with 3 staff members, I was emotionally spent. I know it is all routine and needed for her benefit, but to walk through my entire day with her from wake up to bedtime in detail and analyze each area with strengths and weaknesses made me uneasy, sometimes defensive, and emotional.
For me the hard part of being a foster parent is the constant psycho analyzing that takes place, externally to a degree but more as I become aware of the information. So much literature and training is out there concerning healthy attachment, answering every cry, keeping them extra close, brain development and behavioral cues all because of their prior trauma. On the one hand, I felt confident caring for a baby because I felt I parented successfully two boys. However, a traumatized baby is a whole new ball game. They don't settle as easily, are not attached to me obviously the same as our boys, may never sleep as deeply as a healthy child. I know all of this can change over time as the child experiences healthy attachment, parenting etc, but we're at the beginning of that journey.
With our boys, I spent too many hours trying to figure them out, only to end almost every day of their baby stage feeling like a complete failure. With fostering, I feel doubly so. With weekly and monthly meetings where I have to rehash so much of my relationship with her, activities, strengths and weakness, there are plenty of opportunities for me to feel like I'm not doing enough for her.
It's ok sometimes to remind myself that she is in a safe place, a better home than she would have been, she has brothers who adore her, but of course I'm not content with just that. I want her brain to learn deep trust and attachment. I want her to sleep on a schedule for her own health benefits, as well as for her mom, so she can think more rationally when and if she has to care for Sweetie by herself. I want to give all I can to heal her while she is in our care. She's worth the exhaustion and sometimes mental anguish of all of it. I'm just at a place where it feels overwhelming. I just needed to share that.
As for an update on her case, as so many dear friends are so wonderful at asking, she is on the path to being reunited with her mother by the end of the case. Her mother is doing many of the things she needs to do to get her back. Her visitations have been increased. We are preparing the boys that she will be leaving us within the next 4 months. We praise God that he is healing her mom so that she can care for Sweetie. We pray for Sweetie that she knows how much God loves her and has a plan for her. We thank God for allowing us to care for her and being part of her story. We thank God for the ability to care for babies in need and that he would prepare us for the next girl (as very much requested by the boys) who comes into our home.
In addition to the above, it's a lot to process right now. I think I'm putting a lot of urgency on myself because of her timeline with us. It's a weird limbo of wanting to start grieving the loss of her, but also intenstly loving her to deeper healing.
This is where my own baggage comes in. I emotionally detach I am faced with relational pain, and that is absolutely the wrong response here. Fostering has been an incredible growth process for myself and our family. I would not do anything differently. If Sweetie returns home as she is intended, we fully plan on fostering again. We have decided to take a few months break in between kiddos to catch up on sleep, give our boys some extra attention (and do big kid stuff we haven't been able to do), and allow ourselves to process the experience. While it's hard and I feel run down right now, I know our God is greater than any emotion, thought, or circumstance. Just because it's hard, doesn't mean it's not the right path.
Monday, April 13, 2015
Empowered to Connect
This past weekend I had the honor of co-hosting the Empowered to Connect simulcast at my church, Grace Covenant. The information is based off the extensive research and experience of Dr. Karyn Purvis and her TCU staff. I had read her book, The Connect Child, last year and was looking forward to learning more about the trauma and pathways to healing for kids from hard places. The conference did not disappoint.
My head was literally throbbing Saturday night from processing all of the rich wisdom that was shared. I don't have the time nor space to go into much detail, but I do want to share a few key points that have my mind racing.
First, the primary goal in reaching out to the kids, is for them to know they are precious. The focus is not on behavior, but on connecting. We are making up for the fact that they were never cradle held, their parents did not gaze lovingly in their eyes, and snuggle them close when they were crying and afraid. And trauma in the womb, which most if not all of these kiddos had, predestined psychologically many of their issues.
I so wish I would have had this training when I taught inner city middle school in Houston. I did those kids a huge disservice with my disdain for their lack of supplies and harshness with my thoughts and words. I repented of that desperately this weekend.
Secondly, problems formed in the context of relationship HAVE to be healed in the context of relationship. This parallels the book I finished, orphanjustice, by Johnny Carr. (I want to write a separate post about that book.) Orphanjustice asserts, "Man made orphanages for children, but God created families for children." I believe that more now than ever.
Thirdly, attachment styles. This was incredibly eye opening as I was forced to analyze my own attachment profile based on my childhood and how that is impacting my family now. Phil participated in this part as well. I learned the importance of secure attachment, and now understand this is my primary purpose in parenting kids from hard places, and really my own kids too. I would say this is my biggest challenge personally and as a parent. Attachment is not something that comes easily to me, nor have I always seen the importance of it. I can see there is a long road ahead for me to become earned secure myself.
Lastly, we explored behavioral challenges. The reality is 80-90% of kids in foster care were harmed by their parents or a trusted friend or relative. Let that sink in. The very people the children were meant to run to for love and care were the ones harming them. Repeatedly. Daily. I think you'd be pretty messed up too. I have an even greater compassion for these kids. Anyone who struggles to understand why foster parents have to completely remove physical discipline from their home does not fully understand the trauma these kids face. An enormous amount of patience will be required of us as our baby girl gets older and/or we foster older kiddos.
I applaud Dr. Purvis' approach to parenting these kids and have in the past two days altered our parenting to more closely parallel her approach. In the past two days, our family has laughed more and connected more than we have in a long time. We've focused on connection and not correction. One of the most convicting quotes for me was, "Parents who are not overly stressed are naturally playful." I've so lost my playfulness with my boys. I'm working on ways to get it back.
I can see my family and our sweet foster baby benefiting greatly from this conference. Fostering has been such a healing process for me personally and a huge connection point for our family. I am so grateful the face of fostering has changed in the last decade and so much information and resources are available to guide us. As we keep wading in the water, we find we don't want to jump out, but to continue to go deeper.
My head was literally throbbing Saturday night from processing all of the rich wisdom that was shared. I don't have the time nor space to go into much detail, but I do want to share a few key points that have my mind racing.
First, the primary goal in reaching out to the kids, is for them to know they are precious. The focus is not on behavior, but on connecting. We are making up for the fact that they were never cradle held, their parents did not gaze lovingly in their eyes, and snuggle them close when they were crying and afraid. And trauma in the womb, which most if not all of these kiddos had, predestined psychologically many of their issues.
I so wish I would have had this training when I taught inner city middle school in Houston. I did those kids a huge disservice with my disdain for their lack of supplies and harshness with my thoughts and words. I repented of that desperately this weekend.
Secondly, problems formed in the context of relationship HAVE to be healed in the context of relationship. This parallels the book I finished, orphanjustice, by Johnny Carr. (I want to write a separate post about that book.) Orphanjustice asserts, "Man made orphanages for children, but God created families for children." I believe that more now than ever.
Thirdly, attachment styles. This was incredibly eye opening as I was forced to analyze my own attachment profile based on my childhood and how that is impacting my family now. Phil participated in this part as well. I learned the importance of secure attachment, and now understand this is my primary purpose in parenting kids from hard places, and really my own kids too. I would say this is my biggest challenge personally and as a parent. Attachment is not something that comes easily to me, nor have I always seen the importance of it. I can see there is a long road ahead for me to become earned secure myself.
Lastly, we explored behavioral challenges. The reality is 80-90% of kids in foster care were harmed by their parents or a trusted friend or relative. Let that sink in. The very people the children were meant to run to for love and care were the ones harming them. Repeatedly. Daily. I think you'd be pretty messed up too. I have an even greater compassion for these kids. Anyone who struggles to understand why foster parents have to completely remove physical discipline from their home does not fully understand the trauma these kids face. An enormous amount of patience will be required of us as our baby girl gets older and/or we foster older kiddos.
I applaud Dr. Purvis' approach to parenting these kids and have in the past two days altered our parenting to more closely parallel her approach. In the past two days, our family has laughed more and connected more than we have in a long time. We've focused on connection and not correction. One of the most convicting quotes for me was, "Parents who are not overly stressed are naturally playful." I've so lost my playfulness with my boys. I'm working on ways to get it back.
I can see my family and our sweet foster baby benefiting greatly from this conference. Fostering has been such a healing process for me personally and a huge connection point for our family. I am so grateful the face of fostering has changed in the last decade and so much information and resources are available to guide us. As we keep wading in the water, we find we don't want to jump out, but to continue to go deeper.
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Meetin' the parents
I have to say meeting Sweetie's parents was one of the most challenging things I've done as a foster parent. By the way, I have to call her Sweetie now because that is the nickname Noah came up with and it's now the name in my head. We have other nicknames for her, but Sweetie is the one you'll hear throughout our home.
So Sweetie came to us with a plan for reunification with her parents. Her case is open for one year, giving the parents time to find stable housing, secure a job, become and stay drug free, and attend required classes through CPS. The classes required depend on the dangers in the home. While the parents are working through the program, they are allowed weekly visits. Every case is different, again based on the family situation, but in our case she was allowed to be with her parents twice a week for 1-2 hrs. Any family member who wanted to join the parents is able to.
I was not prepared for how much interaction I would have with the birth parents. It just wasn't made clear in the training. I had a vague notion that I would be handing her off to the observer at some back door and she would be our go between. Not so and I'm glad. I have to directly hand her to her parents. This was an alarming, and yet has become a very rewarding experience for me.
Up until the first meeting, I had been briefed about her parents via medical records, CPS, and then unfortunately, we found them on Facebook. I DO NOT RECOMMEND DOING THIS! It is super weird to know details of their lives when meeting them for the first time. I felt so dishonest, invasive, and completely out of line. We have vowed to not check their FB pages and will not FB any other parents of kids coming into our care. Knowing things from FB does not change anything about the case from our end. Of course every one involved in Sweetie's case can check FB for themselves, if that's even necessary. We are simply her caretakers as her future unfolds and we leave the rest up to God, who knows all and sees all.
Our first meeting took place a few weeks after she came into our care. My heart was pounding heading to that first meeting. I had heard the mom was nervous about her daughter being in care based on an alarming event that occurred in Austin last summer. Two boys drowned in a nearby lake while in foster care. I knew this, and decided I would dress my absolute best to help assuage any fears. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I do firmly believe you never get a second chance to make a first impression. And, I really feel for the mom. I want her to have peace that her daughter is in great care, so she can focus on what she needs to do to get well and get her back. I was trying to do whatever I could in our brief encounter to set her mind at ease.
I met the mom, and because of the afore mentioned research, wanted to break down, cry for her and pray over her. Because that would be wildly inappropriate in the CPS office, I instead greeted her warmly and shook her hand and handed her little girl to her. Her sweet, young face lit up. And then I signed the form, turned and left. That was it. I returned an hour later to pick her up.
Over the course of the last few months, our brief conversations have given me the opportunity to share how she is doing in our care, any medical appointment updates, and about our holidays. I want the parents to know I am thinking of them while I care for their daughter.
Unfortunately, Sweetie's mom does not visit her much. In fact, she's only visited her 7 times since she's been in our care. It says a lot about the mom and what she believes about herself, but it also says a lot about CPS. The visits remain ready and available to her. CPS, in our case, is not trying to keep her from her parents. Up until the most recent court ruling, I had to be ready with her every Tuesday and Thursday at 9am waiting by my phone to see if the mom had arrived at the CPS office. If she did, I would have to leave right then to take her to visit. It's as nerve racking as it sounds. I did that every Tuesday and Thursday for 3 months until the court's most recent ruling.
At the last court hearing, CPS adjusted the visits to be more considerate of everyone's time to once a week, 2 hours. Mom has still not been showing up, until today.
And this is where I have a choice. I could be snooty with her and look at her with disdain. I mean, what kind of mom doesn't go through hell or high water to see their child, especially one living in a stranger's home? I could say (or maybe just feel), "About time, sister. Thanks for finally taking the time out of your busy, non working, drug doing schedule to see your baby." But, instead, my heart broke again for her and the dad. This drug dealing, thieving, convicted criminal father absolutely lights up when he sees her. He quickly takes her from the mom and kisses her all over her face. It is so tender and real. I pray it's enough right now to get him to want to change. So far, it hasn't. I pray quickly for the mom, that she's sees hope for herself in her daughter's eyes. I pray for Sweetie, that she isn't afraid of these 'strangers', and that there is an unexplainable connection with her parents. And, that's all in the 3 minutes it takes to drop her off.
It's all so raw, and real. As I walked away, the verse that God quickly brought to my mind was Romans 3:23-24, "There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." I am just as a big a sinner as they are, but I have accepted Jesus' forgiveness and receive his grace and mercy. I want to extend that same grace and mercy to them, where they are at, so they might feel the love of Christ through me and my family. Man, it's hard, but it feels so incredibly right and good.
So Sweetie came to us with a plan for reunification with her parents. Her case is open for one year, giving the parents time to find stable housing, secure a job, become and stay drug free, and attend required classes through CPS. The classes required depend on the dangers in the home. While the parents are working through the program, they are allowed weekly visits. Every case is different, again based on the family situation, but in our case she was allowed to be with her parents twice a week for 1-2 hrs. Any family member who wanted to join the parents is able to.
I was not prepared for how much interaction I would have with the birth parents. It just wasn't made clear in the training. I had a vague notion that I would be handing her off to the observer at some back door and she would be our go between. Not so and I'm glad. I have to directly hand her to her parents. This was an alarming, and yet has become a very rewarding experience for me.
Up until the first meeting, I had been briefed about her parents via medical records, CPS, and then unfortunately, we found them on Facebook. I DO NOT RECOMMEND DOING THIS! It is super weird to know details of their lives when meeting them for the first time. I felt so dishonest, invasive, and completely out of line. We have vowed to not check their FB pages and will not FB any other parents of kids coming into our care. Knowing things from FB does not change anything about the case from our end. Of course every one involved in Sweetie's case can check FB for themselves, if that's even necessary. We are simply her caretakers as her future unfolds and we leave the rest up to God, who knows all and sees all.
I met the mom, and because of the afore mentioned research, wanted to break down, cry for her and pray over her. Because that would be wildly inappropriate in the CPS office, I instead greeted her warmly and shook her hand and handed her little girl to her. Her sweet, young face lit up. And then I signed the form, turned and left. That was it. I returned an hour later to pick her up.
Over the course of the last few months, our brief conversations have given me the opportunity to share how she is doing in our care, any medical appointment updates, and about our holidays. I want the parents to know I am thinking of them while I care for their daughter.
Unfortunately, Sweetie's mom does not visit her much. In fact, she's only visited her 7 times since she's been in our care. It says a lot about the mom and what she believes about herself, but it also says a lot about CPS. The visits remain ready and available to her. CPS, in our case, is not trying to keep her from her parents. Up until the most recent court ruling, I had to be ready with her every Tuesday and Thursday at 9am waiting by my phone to see if the mom had arrived at the CPS office. If she did, I would have to leave right then to take her to visit. It's as nerve racking as it sounds. I did that every Tuesday and Thursday for 3 months until the court's most recent ruling.
At the last court hearing, CPS adjusted the visits to be more considerate of everyone's time to once a week, 2 hours. Mom has still not been showing up, until today.
And this is where I have a choice. I could be snooty with her and look at her with disdain. I mean, what kind of mom doesn't go through hell or high water to see their child, especially one living in a stranger's home? I could say (or maybe just feel), "About time, sister. Thanks for finally taking the time out of your busy, non working, drug doing schedule to see your baby." But, instead, my heart broke again for her and the dad. This drug dealing, thieving, convicted criminal father absolutely lights up when he sees her. He quickly takes her from the mom and kisses her all over her face. It is so tender and real. I pray it's enough right now to get him to want to change. So far, it hasn't. I pray quickly for the mom, that she's sees hope for herself in her daughter's eyes. I pray for Sweetie, that she isn't afraid of these 'strangers', and that there is an unexplainable connection with her parents. And, that's all in the 3 minutes it takes to drop her off.
It's all so raw, and real. As I walked away, the verse that God quickly brought to my mind was Romans 3:23-24, "There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." I am just as a big a sinner as they are, but I have accepted Jesus' forgiveness and receive his grace and mercy. I want to extend that same grace and mercy to them, where they are at, so they might feel the love of Christ through me and my family. Man, it's hard, but it feels so incredibly right and good.
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Surrendered to Hope
We thought for a long time about what to title our blog. It's actually the element that held us up from starting it sooner. A few weeks ago, our pastor Matt preached as sermon that struck me and surrendered to hope was born out of that. It is heart wrenching to hold baby girl and not know her future. I pray for her like I have never prayed for my own children. I pray that her path leads to knowing Jesus, that she knows He has a plan for her (Jeremiah 29:11), that her body and soul are protected from future harm, but that if harm comes, true healing and safety come quickly after. I pray she remembers us in some way and comes back us if she ever needs someone to love her. Then there are times I just don't know what to pray. I just hold her and praise God for the gift of time with her and the plans he has for her.
Our peace comes when we surrender to the hope we have in Jesus Christ. Our strength comes from God's word; Deut. 31: 6 says, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." We could easily give into fear and decide not to foster. We could say, "our hearts would break if we have to give her back and not know her future, so we'd rather protect our hearts and not open our home to kids in need." We hear that a lot from well meaning people. Or, we can believe that God wants us to be strong and courageous in the face of evil and suffering. To not shrink back in fear, but to move forward in love and hope. I have always clung to Isaiah 41:10, " So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
We could make fostering on so many levels about us. How we feel, how we would handle things, how we like our comfort and don't do well with the unknowns in life. But, we have chosen to surrender our hearts to the hope we have in Him for the children he places in our care. God loves them so much more than we ever could. He knows what is best for them because He is the only One who sees the beginning and end at the same time. We do not believe just because we are a white affluent Christian family that we are the best place for any child. God calls people to himself in every household, in every tribe, and every nation. We pray baby girl is presented with the truth of the Gospel at a young age and believes. We know Jesus Christ calls every man to himself, and it is up to them to believe, and that includes our little one. Please join us in praying she places her faith in Jesus Christ and experiences true healing.
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Caring Family Network
Another important question we are asked is, "What agency are you with?" We LOVE talking about our agency, Caring Family Network.
We know our transition into fostering would not have been as smooth if it wasn't for them. Throughout the process of certification, they were always available to answer any questions or concerns we had, and we had quite a few. They always answered emails within 24 hours, and would call if they felt it was better to answer over the phone. We never felt pressured to choose a certain age group, medical needs etc. They even supported our decision at first to only offer respite and encouraged us to do that a few months. No rush. Even the calls from the intake case worker were no pressure. We didn't feel guilted at all into a decision.
It feels like we have friends surrounding us.
At placement, our assigned case manager stayed with me the entire time at the hospital, from 5pm-8:45pm until baby girl was released and then followed me home to finish the placement paperwork at 9pm. She then called me the next morning to see how the first night went and if I needed anything. I get a 'check in' call weekly from her and a monthly visit. I know that if I need absolutely anything, I can count on her, or anyone at the agency, to help. They are so gracious and understanding when I don't sometimes have all the paperwork required to turn in at each monthly visit (I'm still learning!).
My mom became certified to offer respite for us, and they helped her go through that process very smoothly. One of baby girl's NICU nurses also wanted to keep in contact with her, and became a respite provider for us as well. Our agency was amazing, and helped her complete the process in a mind blowing 2 weeks!
We knew we made the right choice in our agency. All of that was further confirmed around the holidays. They threw a beautiful, not over the top, Christmas party at a local church where they bought gifts for not only baby girl, but our boys as well. It was so sweet to see how they honored the bio kids and their service to the foster kids in their home. The boys felt such excitement and pride in being baby girl's big brothers. Then, a week before Christmas I received an email saying CFN had received more presents, enough for EVERY kid in our home to get 2 presents! Just come and pick them out! It was so extremely helpful financially and emotionally to be loved on that much. They could have easily stored those for another occasion or event, but they blessed their families in return.
A super cool thing is both boys were able to get things they were specifically asking for. Noah got a box of muscle car matchbox cars and Ethan a Batman lego set. Those are exactly the presents they had asked us for. While our agency is not a 'Christian' agency, we know God is working in and through them to impact His children.
CPS was pretty remarkable as well. Whatever negative I have heard about CPS, I have yet to experience it myself. Everyone I have interacted with are extremely respectful, kind and want what is best for baby girl. CPS even provided a TRASH BAG full of gifts for baby girl. While she certainly didn't need that, I love the idea of older kids, who are aware, would know that someone is thinking of them and wanting them to feel loved and cared for over the holidays. We were asked to turn in a wish list to CPS for baby girl, but they took it and completely went above and beyond.
Monday, January 26, 2015
Baby Girl
As most of you know, we cannot post the name of our baby girl, nor any concrete details surrounding her placement. This is a public blog and we have to protect her and us. Sorry if the term 'baby girl' gets annoying to read.
On that Thursday I was browsing IKEA just for fun. Both boys were in school and I had not actually taken a day to just hang out shopping around by myself. It felt so relaxing. I wasn't thinking about fostering, just enjoying a bit of a break in the day. Then, while walking through the dining section, our intake coordinator called me. Thankfully I had a comfy place to sit while he explained the situation and sent over the confidential docs concerning baby girl. By God's design, Phil had already started working from home and he was able to be on the phone with me as we quickly read her diagnosis and immediate future medical needs. You really have to consider all of these things carefully because a placement now could mean adoption later on.
Maybe out of desperation to actually do this foster parent thing, and without any fear in our hearts about extra medical conditions, we said YES! Later we would learn that we were hand selected for baby girl because (1) I stay at home and she could not be placed directly into a childcare situation and (2) we live close to where visitations would take place.
To say we were thrilled would not be appropriate. Our hearts were broken for a baby who was not going home to her mom and dad. All we wanted to do was hold her and provide for her every need. It was very surreal. After all of the emergency placement calls, we had equipped ourselves a bit better to be ready for a baby and I had all weekend to collect more things. Friends were so gracious to give an entire 0-12 month wardrobe for her along with a Boppy, bath tub etc.
I met baby girl Friday night, roomed in with her at the hospital Sunday night, and she came to us on Tuesday. Miraculously and against all the doctor's prior prognosis, she did not have to come home on the pulse ox monitor, though she did require around the clock meds.
Placement was a bit of a whirlwind. So many people come to see the child in your home in the first 3 weeks; CPS, our caseworker, her attorney, social workers associated with the attorney. I appreciated their attention and learned a lot through my interaction with them. Medical appts were scheduled at one per week and meds were procured. It was a busy month adjusting and learning what it means to have a 'ward of the state' living in your home. More on that in a future post.
Unpacking
There's so much to share, so much that we are asked and want to use this space to answer. I guess we'll move right into placement and the path laid out for us, that led us to baby girl being placed in our home. There were a lot of ups and downs until she came.
On the last post I mentioned we were getting on a plan to head to Germany for a week long vacation/conference, just me and Phil. While we were walking down the aisle to take our seats, I reached into my purse to turn off my phone. At that exact moment, my phone rang. It was our agency asking if we would consider taking a 2 1/2 yr. old boy in Bastrop. I explained we were getting on a plane for a trip, but would be willing to consider it. He proceeded to tell me a bit about the boy and his situation, and I committed to get back to him when we landed. I switched the phone off, shared the news with Phil and started to cry.
My heart broke for that sweet boy. I prayed for him, his family, his current foster family and us. We knew right then that we were not just going to respite care, we were ready to be all in.
We landed in Frankfurt and I emailed our intake manager and said we needed to know more. We were willing to accept the boy upon our return, but his visitations were twice a week in Bastrop and we just couldn't make that work. (Bastrop is about 40 min. away from us.)
Ok, so that phone call was over, we vacation a few days, and while in Rothenburg, I get a call for a 5 week old baby. Again, tears well up in my eyes. We heard the story and said yes, we would take her. We then got a message back that a family who had provided respite care for her offered to take her, so we weren't needed. We all agreed no more phone calls about placements while on vacation. What a roller coaster! We had a wonderful trip (LOVE Freiburg, Germany!) and we returned anxious to foster.
Our first week back, and we hopped on the roller coaster again. While Ethan was at his piano lesson, I was sitting in the car with Noah, who fell asleep on the way to piano. I received our first emergency placement call. All we were told was a family of four was being removed from their home in Round Rock and there was a 3 year old girl and a 6 month old girl. Would we take one or both within the next 2 hours? My heart was racing. And then I started crying as I thought about what those kids might be experiencing. I immediately said yes, we would take the 6 month old. We were to await a future phone call.
We were not called back for that placement. We received another emergency placement call the next day, this time for a 1 year old girl who didn't talk. She would need extensive therapy. We said yes, but did not get a call back. We later learned that is a total scrambling game trying to find homes for emergency placements. Ideally, CPS wants siblings to stay together and we never quite know what other agencies and families are being contacted and what combination of kiddos other homes can take.
Our hearts were saddened that we weren't chosen for those kiddos. We were so ready to serve! A few weeks passed and we started wondering if we weren't really needed as foster parents. Had we done all of this for nothing? Did we choose the wrong age category? Did we say something wrong in those emergency placement calls? Then on a Thursday, we were contacted about a precious baby girl in the NICU with medical needs.
We were not called back for that placement. We received another emergency placement call the next day, this time for a 1 year old girl who didn't talk. She would need extensive therapy. We said yes, but did not get a call back. We later learned that is a total scrambling game trying to find homes for emergency placements. Ideally, CPS wants siblings to stay together and we never quite know what other agencies and families are being contacted and what combination of kiddos other homes can take.
Our hearts were saddened that we weren't chosen for those kiddos. We were so ready to serve! A few weeks passed and we started wondering if we weren't really needed as foster parents. Had we done all of this for nothing? Did we choose the wrong age category? Did we say something wrong in those emergency placement calls? Then on a Thursday, we were contacted about a precious baby girl in the NICU with medical needs.
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Where to Start
Welcome to our new blog! We created this so that others can follow along as we foster kiddos in need. There are so many thoughts, emotions, and to-dos that occur within a foster family and this blog will help us process through those things, as well as have a family record of our experience. So, let's jump in!
A few nights ago we held an informal gathering at our home with fellow Grace Covenant Church members to talk about fostering. We were given the chance to share our own story as well as hear from those who are foster parents themselves and those who are considering fostering. It was great to look back at the beginning.
My husband, Phil, and I took the initial steps to become foster parents back in 2010. We had a chubby, loud, and fun 1 year old (almost 2) biological son and felt like we had the time and space to help a baby in need. We weren't necessarily wanting to expand our family, just care for children. We felt like, "well we survived the first year, we can do it again." We attended the CPS intro course and were completely overwhelmed. We started investigating fostering agencies when we found out I was pregnant with our second son. Fostering took a back seat as we focused on Noah, who would eventually be born prematurely at 31 weeks and require a 4 week NICU stay.
Fast forward to 2013. Both boys sleep very soundly through the night and Phil and I feel slightly more out of the parenting fog and start talking about fostering in passing conversations. In February 2014 I had the honor of hosting an IF: Local gathering in my home with friends from church. (IF: Local is part of IF: Gathering, you should definitely check it out!). During that event, I was challenged that If God is Real, then what? What is he calling me to do right now? It was a very memorable, sweet time with friends as we silently and outwardly wrestled with what was stirring in our hearts. For me, it was fostering. I had been earnestly thinking about it for a few months prior to the event, but that weekend it became perfectly clear that we as a family needed to move forward, despite our fears and apprehensions. Phil returned home Sunday night and quickly agreed.
We asked some trusted friends in church for agency recommendations and chose Caring Family Network. I should set the stage that through all of this there was such perfect peace for both of us. There were questions, fears, lots and lots of unknowns. Lots of conversations that were, 'are we really doing this?'. But underneath it all was truly a peace that surpasses all understanding.
April 2014 we turned in our application and started our trainings. It took months for us to complete all the requirements of turning our home into what we call a 'state home'. Nothing was as over the top as we feared; magnetic locks installed, fire extinguisher bought, smoke detectors in every room, carbon monoxide detector etc. There was more paperwork, background checks, and trainings. Each step gave us the chance to confirm in our hearts and minds that we were really doing this.
September 2014 everything is complete and we were officially licensed as a foster family! We already had a trip to Germany planned, where Phil would be speaking at a conference. We would start accepting children once we returned. We knew this was our last carefree vacation for a while.
A few nights ago we held an informal gathering at our home with fellow Grace Covenant Church members to talk about fostering. We were given the chance to share our own story as well as hear from those who are foster parents themselves and those who are considering fostering. It was great to look back at the beginning.
My husband, Phil, and I took the initial steps to become foster parents back in 2010. We had a chubby, loud, and fun 1 year old (almost 2) biological son and felt like we had the time and space to help a baby in need. We weren't necessarily wanting to expand our family, just care for children. We felt like, "well we survived the first year, we can do it again." We attended the CPS intro course and were completely overwhelmed. We started investigating fostering agencies when we found out I was pregnant with our second son. Fostering took a back seat as we focused on Noah, who would eventually be born prematurely at 31 weeks and require a 4 week NICU stay.
Fast forward to 2013. Both boys sleep very soundly through the night and Phil and I feel slightly more out of the parenting fog and start talking about fostering in passing conversations. In February 2014 I had the honor of hosting an IF: Local gathering in my home with friends from church. (IF: Local is part of IF: Gathering, you should definitely check it out!). During that event, I was challenged that If God is Real, then what? What is he calling me to do right now? It was a very memorable, sweet time with friends as we silently and outwardly wrestled with what was stirring in our hearts. For me, it was fostering. I had been earnestly thinking about it for a few months prior to the event, but that weekend it became perfectly clear that we as a family needed to move forward, despite our fears and apprehensions. Phil returned home Sunday night and quickly agreed.
We asked some trusted friends in church for agency recommendations and chose Caring Family Network. I should set the stage that through all of this there was such perfect peace for both of us. There were questions, fears, lots and lots of unknowns. Lots of conversations that were, 'are we really doing this?'. But underneath it all was truly a peace that surpasses all understanding.
April 2014 we turned in our application and started our trainings. It took months for us to complete all the requirements of turning our home into what we call a 'state home'. Nothing was as over the top as we feared; magnetic locks installed, fire extinguisher bought, smoke detectors in every room, carbon monoxide detector etc. There was more paperwork, background checks, and trainings. Each step gave us the chance to confirm in our hearts and minds that we were really doing this.
September 2014 everything is complete and we were officially licensed as a foster family! We already had a trip to Germany planned, where Phil would be speaking at a conference. We would start accepting children once we returned. We knew this was our last carefree vacation for a while.
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