An earlier post I had mentioned that my brother had a young friend who was thinking about finding another caregiver for her infant daughter. I have not talked to my brother since he told me that this girl had decided to keep her daughter for the time being and told him our offer to help will still be on the table at any point if she should change her mind. Well, I got an update from my mother this week.
This teenage girl has handed her baby over to a foster family. Apparently she was in foster care at some point with this same family and trusts them. My understanding is that she considered us, but that since she doesn't know the future for her daughter, she wanted her to remain close so she can visit and keep in contact with her. They are two states away from here.
I agree. The goal of foster parenting is to get the parents more educated and in a better place to care for their children. It is not to just take children away from struggling parents. Although I had thought of this when we originally offered to take in this little girl, I also didn't think she had a local outlet to receive such help. And I wasn't sure she would want to put her daughter into the "system." But, I'm glad she does have someone she trusts and somewhere her baby can be that is close by.
I will talk to my brother this weekend on his birthday and probably get more information. I do hope she can get some more confidence and help to be able to care for her daughter. I can't imagine living life knowing my little girl is growing up somewhere else. But, if in the end she decides to give up her little girl and this foster family is not interested in adopting her, I hope she would consider us again.
All this is a little emotional as we wait for our foster license committee meeting on June 30th to determine whether or not we are approved for foster care. My heart is so there, but maybe it's not the right time for us... I'm trying to be patient as I wait, while still not trying to rush these last 14 weeks before BKM comes.
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