Thursday, March 18, 2010
Sure, you're fit to be a parent, but are you fit to be a foster parent?
Have you ever considered becoming a foster parent? Do you think that you are a great parent and being a foster parent would be a breeze? This is a common misconception among most people. What they don’t realize is that you are not only taking care of someone else’s child but also caring for a child of the state. If you leave the state, you have to have permission from the state, and the child’s biological parent. The days of just dropping the kids off at grandmas house are long gone unless grandmas house is a licensed foster home because that ward of the state can not be in any home that is not licensed by the state. You also can not take that child to do any extra curricular activities such as boating or horse back riding without the written permission from the biological parents. You know, the ones that were not fit enough to have the child living in their home. Am I the only one that thinks that is wrong?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I have never considered being a foster parent myself. I feel being just a parent can be hard and overwhelming sometimes. I have a friend who has considered foster caring or adopting. I wonder if she has considered all the things that you have mentioned. It would really turn her life upside down and give her less freedom to come and go or do things that she wants to. That really doesn't make sense that they remove a child from one home due to bad parenting and place it in a home of good parents, yet the foster parent has to have permission to do good parenting (bonding) things. Sometimes it is hard enough just finding a babysitter for my own kids. I couldn't imagine being limited to who I can ask to babysit. I can understand them not allowing to child to be able to be put into just anyones care. But the State did "trust" these foster parents to take care of this child.
ReplyDeleteIt can be very frustrating at times, I think it is best for people that can have one parent stay at home because foster kids take a lot of your time. They have more appointments on their calendar than most adults do. It can also be very rewarding too, knowing that you have helped a child out of a bad situation. You can model for them characteristics that you would like them to take home with them.
ReplyDelete