Foster Support Group

Still no update from P127, they have my paperwork and was hoping to hear from them last week and the week before with an update, but nothing yet.  Once they go through it all, then I can pass onto my CPA and that is when the ball will roll faster towards certification I believe. 

The most popular question I get is, "when will you have a child in your home".  One of the things that they trained us on, is to have consistency and stability for the first while that the child is in the home.  At the rate things are moving along, I may not be fully certified until sometime in May but then I have a trip at the end of June, back to Montana for my 20 year reunion.  Although it would be great to take a child up there (I know there are many of you reading this now that I will see up there and would love to meet her)...here is the reality of it.  This child is coming into my home, more than likely traumatized or whatever her situation is.  She doesn't know me, my routines, my temperments, etc so it is going to take us a bit to get used to each other, for her to trust me, etc.  Let's get into a car, drive 10+ hours, stop to meet my Mom and Step Dad, then onto meet a TON of people that I haven't seen in 20 years and strangers that I have never met (their families).  That is not something they recommend a child going into right away.  That can be traumatizing in itself for a little one.  Not to mention, stressful for me to make sure the little one is safe and feels ok constantly. If I had the child for a couple months leading up to it, yes.  But that won't be the case so I will more than likely have a child in my home the beginning of July.  Until then, there is work to do.

One of the requirements of P127 is to attend a foster parent support group.  I had seen that there is one not to far from my house at a church.  So myself and a couple that I met in training went together to that yesterday.    I can see why that is a requirement!  I am working on this, but I am of mind "oh I can do this, I don't need help"...Well that is a load of bull.  This is a whole new world that I can't even attempt to do it on my own.  Not only do I have an amazing supportive village but now I have met a whole new circle of friends that are doign the same thing I am!  What an amazing thing to be a part of! 

Sounds like each month they go around and share their "high, low, weird" stories for what they are going through.  It was eye opening and felt so good to be accepted as I walked in the door, knowing...we are all here for the same reason.  We are all walking down this foster/adoption path together and we can link arms and help each other.  They have a program that they are working on putting together that will consist of foster/adoptive parents that will be a hands on support..meaning we will drop off meals to each other when chaos is happening, we will each be set up with a person, so that we will be available for each other 24 hours a day.  So like when a child is having a tantrum from 12am to 4am, we would have someone to call to cry it out, that has possibly been there too and knows you are dealing with a traumatized child. Just stuff like that. Most importantly they have certified babysitters at this church so that we can take our kids there while we meet and know they are safe because these sitters have been trained also.  YAY! 

So in the meantime what I need to do is a CPR class, turn in a background check, do an online Reasonable and Prudent Parenting class, attend these support groups monthly, continue working on myself and wait on Gods timing of everything.

The emotions that I am dealing with now are "am I doing the right thing", "is this taking so long so that I change my mind".  I keep going back to, it's going to be ok and I wouldn't have started down this path if I couldn't see it through. I think some people might think I am crazy because maybe I have an altered thought in my head of how it will go once she is in my home...but you know what, it doesn't matter, God will help me handle what I am given.

There is the update for now!  Have a great week! :)

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