INTRODUCTION
One thing
You learn quickly in the foster care world
Is that
EVERY case is totally different.
I completed my 10 weeks of foster care training
A year ago, April,
With 12 other couples
And by this fall
4 others and I were licensed and had placements
And every single one of us have has vastly different experiences
Yet
So many issues in the broken system the same.
Today was court day.
Today I was
Again
Reminded
Of just how different every case is.
STORY ONE
A guy
His companion,
(The mother of his child)
Her parents sitting two seats down.
No one talking to each other.
CPS caseworker comes in.
She sat.
Expressed her surprise to see the guy and lady
Stating it was the first time they have come to anything in 6 months.
The blame game started.
She politely stopped it and called them on it.
Then she broke the news.
She was going into court today and recommending
Severance/adoption.
Tears begin.
Excuses begin.
Foster mother of child arrives.
Meets everyone.
Caseworker informs her of the plan.
Then the ,an begins to attack the woman
The foster care mother
For not taking care of his child
Blaming her for issues
Verbally attacking her.
Woman remains quiet.
Caseworker steps in.
Tells him to stop.
Tells him it in all false
All uncalled for
All unfair.
STORY TWO
Two women
Meet at the light rail station.
Strangers nine months ago.
Now so much to discuss
To vent
To ponder
On the way to court.
Laugh at each other going through security
Sit down and wait
And talk
And plan
And discuss
And dream for two girls and a brother.
Awkwardly witness story one
Mutually turning to each other
Praising God for a very different relationship
With kudos for birth mom for all her hard work
All her effort
All her determination
Court case called.
Two women enter court together.
One sits up front.
One sits alone in the benches.
Court begins.
One women is praised for her gains
Her work
Her progress in the last three months
One nods her head in agreement.
One's lawyer brings up concerns with CPS caseworker
With lack of therapy
Lack of communication
Lack of accurate information.
The other is questioned by the judge
For confirmation about
Progress
About girls
About future.
Plan for reunification remains the same.
Two women leave together
At peace and in agreement
And driving away with plans of how to help
How to prepare
How to best transition the girls
As moving forward to moving them back from one to the other.
No specific timeline decided
But moving closer and closer
And peace abounds
And the two women are forever connected.
CONCLUSION
Every case is different.
Every case is unique.
Every case has struggles.
Every case has unknowns.
Lots of unknowns.
It is a broken world.
A broken system.
But...
There is light sometimes.
There are relationships built sometimes.
Families are reunited sometimes.
God is in control all the time
And He is doing His will.
For I know the plans I have for you,
Declares The Lord
Plans to prosper you
Not to harm you
Plans to give you hope
And a future
Jeremiah 29:11
