Foster Parenting

[saddina]

Enjoy the road trip Boyd! (tip do not spend 7 hours in a van with a busted radio and Bob Marley's greatist hits cassette).

 

[beak]

Quote:
We fostered for 10 years. Age of your kids is a big consideration. A lot of these kids have been sexually abused and can act out on your children. We always felt that the older kids were too much of a risk. We went to a lot of foster parent group meetings. Lot of interesting stories. Seemed like the homes that took older kids tended to be empty nesters. They ran very strict homes. The FAS kids are more damaged than the drug babies. Most drugs don't cause permanent damage, just withdrawal at birth and the 1st few days.

 

[Sillystunt]

i don't know,many addicts kids tend to have adhd! I see it in my own family. Could just be a cowinkie dink,lol. The girl i had was 4(almost 5) so any age can act out on other children...........SUPER SCARY!

But in the same breath i have a 6 year old who is a dream! We warned my daughter if she don't straighten up we will send her back and keep our placement....lol. My daughter is 17 by the way.

I think we are gonna stick to 15m to 3 years old. Cause i DONT want to be up every 3 hours with babies and now i am scared to have them older then my son. I know this fear will pass but it's fresh right now.

 

[Boyd]

Quote:
We fostered for 10 years. Age of your kids is a big consideration. A lot of these kids have been sexually abused and can act out on your children. We always felt that the older kids were too much of a risk. We went to a lot of foster parent group meetings. Lot of interesting stories. Seemed like the homes that took older kids tended to be empty nesters. They ran very strict homes. The FAS kids are more damaged than the drug babies. Most drugs don't cause permanent damage, just withdrawal at birth and the 1st few days.

When my biologicals are younger, I get much older kids, I guess when my baby (9 years old) gets older I'll flip flop it... but I must say, I truely love working with the older teens. they soon learn that in this house there isn't a competition, and there is no one to impress but themselves. I have 2 that have tried running away and others with suicide attempts in the past so I know how hard it can be.

I've got a good story to tell everyone here, but I want to wait until Monday or Tuesday when I go back to the agency so we can see how this plays out.

 

[Dar]

GEEEE thanks this is like a season finale then too...got to wait....lol

 

[Boyd]

well, I don't want to tell ya'll what I think is going to happen, but i so wanted to today

My apt at the agency is 8am tommorow

 

[Southernbelle]

I hate teasers! That was sooooo mean, Boyd!!!!

 

[Sillystunt]

we have to wait???

 

[saddina]

At least I'm not the only one that's fiddling all weekend waiting for Monday...

I called Friday and said ok to teen girls, in some situations, but the gal who does placements leaves at 1 on Fridays

so I'm waiting.... I even cleaned out the coops and cages trying to pass time.

 

[Boyd]

Well this morning I took two of the kiddos I had to the foster agency. 1 of them for a parental visit, and another one because I got her the friday before memorial day as a temp/respit basis because I was at my license limit already.

Well memorial weekend came and went, the worker asked me how she was working out at my house and I had to tell her Great.. put her with girls her own age doing the right things..... well, they hadn't found her a permanent placement yet. I told them no problemo, just keep me in the loop.

This girl is a real sweety, 15, never had lived with a white family before, and a product of the city. Scared of dogs, birds, and things that go bump in the dark.

those of you who know me know that I live on a farm where there are NO street lights, I have a couple of dogs, barn cats, chickens, quail and hatching some peafowl. After a couple of days she was actually comfortable and cracking jokes with me. Told me that I was just like her late father, and accidentally called me dad a couple of times.

Last Thursday ALL of my kids sat me down while she was outside talking to her best friend on the phone. Can we keep her? Like she was a puppy right?

Me and the wife had talked about the same thing and were fixing to talk to the kids about it the same moment!!!!! GASP!!!!!!!!!

Well today I went to the agency, getting back to the beginning of the story, and told them I would like to hold onto her..... They gave me the forms to become an official group home and told me welcome. This kiddo is yours

Sorry for the wait, but I have never had someone just fall into the family so easily and so pleasantly

Didn't want to jinx myself before today so I could do the happy dance for real!