I just don't understand. Little Mighty's bios have not been consistent in visits with him. They are entitled to 3 (one hour) SUPERVISED days a week. They have not seen him all 3 days since before Christmas. There have been 3 or 4 weeks that they haven't seen him at all. And now the county has decided to give the bios one hour Unsupervised a week.
I'll never get it. On another note, the agency home finder asked if I'd be willing to be on the foster parent panel for MAPP in a few weeks. I said yes. I ordered the book "Welcome to the Roller Coaster" to give to each couple in the class. Hoping to open their eyes to the realities of foster care. If you haven't had the chance to read it, I HIGHLY suggest it. You can get it on Amazon here.
Making a difference...One Starfish at a time
Our family started fostering back in 2005. We have been blessed to love on many babies. There has been many twists and turns throughout our journey and in December of 2010 we were called for placement of a newborn baby boy. His biological mother worked a case plan for 18 months and after 23 months she surrendered her rights and we adopted 'Sprout' in December of 2012. Our faith has been tried and tested and we are still certain that God is faithful!
Showing posts with label crazy bios. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crazy bios. Show all posts
March 16, 2015
November 7, 2014
Ya just can't fix stupid...
Yesterday, I was asked to bring Little Mighty up to the county building to have him fitted for a new convertible car seat. His bios asked the agency worker who, in turn, asked me. I didn't understand why he needed to be there but I went {out of curiosity}.
Bios have never greeted me appropriately. Yesterday was no different. Yesterday, bio mom just said "that is the temporary foster mom. LM is coming home tomorrow." While her statement of me being the foster mom is TRUE...she could have begun our time together with a simple HELLO!!! We proceeded to the back room to fill out paper work and get a car seat. Bio dad is a talker. He just keeps talking and talking but nothing he says really makes sense or matters to the conversation. Kind of like verbal diarrhea.
He was explaining that they needed a new infant seat because the one they had was broken. (When I picked Little Mighty up from the hospital, they had a brand new car seat. I chose not to use it because it smelled like smoke. I returned it to them. The car seat they brought to exchange was a totally different car seat!) He said that the one from the hospital was borrowed and had since been returned. We all introduced ourselves to the instructor and then watched a video of car seat safety. (All the while I was questioning why I had to be there). The instructor came back in to the room with a convertible car seat and an infant seat. We filled out some registration papers and started to go through how to install the car seat. Bio mom then asked the instructor if she could have a GIRL car seat because she is expecting a baby girl. The instructor was a little taken back and told her no, they only had gender neutral car seats. Bio mom started to complain about how LM was kicking her very pregnant stomach and handed him to bio dad. Bio dad kept telling me what an awesome kid LM is. (I already know that!) Bio mom took out her phone and brought up the definition of mal*nutrition (which is undernourishment caused by poor diet). She told me that since they were feeding him and he wasn't gaining weight that's not their fault and it's NOT neglect. I just sat there and listened and thought to myself "ya can't fix stupid". We were there for about 20 minutes before I took Little Mighty our of the car seat. I wondered why no one wanted to get him out sooner. They proceeded to tell the instructor all about how they already know how to install car seats and ask if they could bring home BOTH car seats. The instructor said that the convertible seat was going home with LM because it's FOR HIM. They were not happy. (I think they planned on selling it. They don't have a car and they don't drive. The hospital would give them a car seat when they tried to leave the hospital without one). When Little Mighty started getting fussy I took out the bottle I had prepared and snuggled him to feed him. He drank about 3 ounces (of the 8 ) and began playing. I handed him to bio mom. It was about 45 minutes of instructions and passing the baby back and forth between mom and dad. When it was finally over, bio mom asked if I'd drive them home (they walk EVERYWHERE) and she'd give me gas money. I said yes because it was raining (but I requested that the agency worker come as well...she said yes) It was an 8 minute drive home and all bio mom complained about was the fact that she still didn't have a girl car seat and bio dad complained about the instructor because she was VERY detail oriented. Then bio dad tells bio mom that he's going to buy a girl print car seat and use this new one as a back up. (insert HUGE eye roll here!!!) AHHH! Why did I just waste an HOUR of MY LIFE to do this is if they're not even going to use it?!?! THEN. When I dropped them off at their house he told me I could leave the convertible car seat. I told him that I'll bring it with LM's things when he comes home after court tomorrow. (2 can play his game). Foster mom -1 Bio dad- 0
:)
Then today, well let me start by saying this...
Each case in foster care is as different as each child. Just when you think you have things figured out, something twisted and crazy pops up. Little Mighty was left in a car while his parents took his older sister into a department store to use the bathroom. They see nothing wrong with this...which TO ME translates to THEY'LL DO IT AGAIN! Let me rewind. Since visits are now in the bios home I only have to transport one way and only to the agency building where someone then takes LM and continues on to his parents house. The agency case worker, lets call her *Genie, has transported and supervised visits so far. Now that visits are in the home there is someone else who will transport and supervise the visit. Today, that person was *Barbie. When Barbie dropped LM off after the visit I asked her how it went. She was VERY unhappy with the bios attitude. This was her first time meeting them and she was greeted with bio dad coming out to her car with a bottle of water saying that the priest was coming over to bless the house because someone committed suicide there. She said she was a little overwhelmed with his personality. Then she brought LM into the house and bio mom was sitting on the couch all quiet because "she didn't get her baby back today". Barbie was a bit freaked by them. She said that they left LM on the floor in the living room to show her around the house. She said that bio dad showed her the paper work from when they left LM in the car sleeping when they went into the department store. He kept defending himself saying he did nothing wrong. They kept saying that they weren't happy that I was holding his bottle to feed him and they felt that he should be holding it himself. (While I totally agree with them...LM is VERY delayed because of lack of nutrition and stimulation. He needs to bond and feeding is one way to do that with an ALMOST 1 year old). Bio mom told Barbie that the only reason LM gained 7oz (it was 2 pounds) in the hospital those first 5 days was because the nurses gave him minced meat. Barbie was quick on her feet and asked why THEY weren't giving him 'minced meat' if they knew that would help him gain weight. They claim they were feeding him and yet Barbie had to tell them to feed him lunch or at least prompt them to ask if he's eaten yet.
When Barbie brought him home to me I was SOOOO glad to hear her be REAL (unlike Genie) and tell me what really happened and how she REALLY feels this case should end. While I do appreciate Genie for being impartial I REALLY hope Barbie will be transporting and supervising the 3 visits per week from now on.
**Names have to changed to protect identities.
I am trying to be very detail oriented in documenting because of the lenience of the court in this county. I am also getting in touch with LM's law guardian prior to court being continued in 2 weeks.
Bios have never greeted me appropriately. Yesterday was no different. Yesterday, bio mom just said "that is the temporary foster mom. LM is coming home tomorrow." While her statement of me being the foster mom is TRUE...she could have begun our time together with a simple HELLO!!! We proceeded to the back room to fill out paper work and get a car seat. Bio dad is a talker. He just keeps talking and talking but nothing he says really makes sense or matters to the conversation. Kind of like verbal diarrhea.
He was explaining that they needed a new infant seat because the one they had was broken. (When I picked Little Mighty up from the hospital, they had a brand new car seat. I chose not to use it because it smelled like smoke. I returned it to them. The car seat they brought to exchange was a totally different car seat!) He said that the one from the hospital was borrowed and had since been returned. We all introduced ourselves to the instructor and then watched a video of car seat safety. (All the while I was questioning why I had to be there). The instructor came back in to the room with a convertible car seat and an infant seat. We filled out some registration papers and started to go through how to install the car seat. Bio mom then asked the instructor if she could have a GIRL car seat because she is expecting a baby girl. The instructor was a little taken back and told her no, they only had gender neutral car seats. Bio mom started to complain about how LM was kicking her very pregnant stomach and handed him to bio dad. Bio dad kept telling me what an awesome kid LM is. (I already know that!) Bio mom took out her phone and brought up the definition of mal*nutrition (which is undernourishment caused by poor diet). She told me that since they were feeding him and he wasn't gaining weight that's not their fault and it's NOT neglect. I just sat there and listened and thought to myself "ya can't fix stupid". We were there for about 20 minutes before I took Little Mighty our of the car seat. I wondered why no one wanted to get him out sooner. They proceeded to tell the instructor all about how they already know how to install car seats and ask if they could bring home BOTH car seats. The instructor said that the convertible seat was going home with LM because it's FOR HIM. They were not happy. (I think they planned on selling it. They don't have a car and they don't drive. The hospital would give them a car seat when they tried to leave the hospital without one). When Little Mighty started getting fussy I took out the bottle I had prepared and snuggled him to feed him. He drank about 3 ounces (of the 8 ) and began playing. I handed him to bio mom. It was about 45 minutes of instructions and passing the baby back and forth between mom and dad. When it was finally over, bio mom asked if I'd drive them home (they walk EVERYWHERE) and she'd give me gas money. I said yes because it was raining (but I requested that the agency worker come as well...she said yes) It was an 8 minute drive home and all bio mom complained about was the fact that she still didn't have a girl car seat and bio dad complained about the instructor because she was VERY detail oriented. Then bio dad tells bio mom that he's going to buy a girl print car seat and use this new one as a back up. (insert HUGE eye roll here!!!) AHHH! Why did I just waste an HOUR of MY LIFE to do this is if they're not even going to use it?!?! THEN. When I dropped them off at their house he told me I could leave the convertible car seat. I told him that I'll bring it with LM's things when he comes home after court tomorrow. (2 can play his game). Foster mom -1 Bio dad- 0
:)
Then today, well let me start by saying this...
Each case in foster care is as different as each child. Just when you think you have things figured out, something twisted and crazy pops up. Little Mighty was left in a car while his parents took his older sister into a department store to use the bathroom. They see nothing wrong with this...which TO ME translates to THEY'LL DO IT AGAIN! Let me rewind. Since visits are now in the bios home I only have to transport one way and only to the agency building where someone then takes LM and continues on to his parents house. The agency case worker, lets call her *Genie, has transported and supervised visits so far. Now that visits are in the home there is someone else who will transport and supervise the visit. Today, that person was *Barbie. When Barbie dropped LM off after the visit I asked her how it went. She was VERY unhappy with the bios attitude. This was her first time meeting them and she was greeted with bio dad coming out to her car with a bottle of water saying that the priest was coming over to bless the house because someone committed suicide there. She said she was a little overwhelmed with his personality. Then she brought LM into the house and bio mom was sitting on the couch all quiet because "she didn't get her baby back today". Barbie was a bit freaked by them. She said that they left LM on the floor in the living room to show her around the house. She said that bio dad showed her the paper work from when they left LM in the car sleeping when they went into the department store. He kept defending himself saying he did nothing wrong. They kept saying that they weren't happy that I was holding his bottle to feed him and they felt that he should be holding it himself. (While I totally agree with them...LM is VERY delayed because of lack of nutrition and stimulation. He needs to bond and feeding is one way to do that with an ALMOST 1 year old). Bio mom told Barbie that the only reason LM gained 7oz (it was 2 pounds) in the hospital those first 5 days was because the nurses gave him minced meat. Barbie was quick on her feet and asked why THEY weren't giving him 'minced meat' if they knew that would help him gain weight. They claim they were feeding him and yet Barbie had to tell them to feed him lunch or at least prompt them to ask if he's eaten yet.
When Barbie brought him home to me I was SOOOO glad to hear her be REAL (unlike Genie) and tell me what really happened and how she REALLY feels this case should end. While I do appreciate Genie for being impartial I REALLY hope Barbie will be transporting and supervising the 3 visits per week from now on.
**Names have to changed to protect identities.
I am trying to be very detail oriented in documenting because of the lenience of the court in this county. I am also getting in touch with LM's law guardian prior to court being continued in 2 weeks.
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