[HappyMomAnna]

If your state is running good training programs by the time you finish you will have a slight idea of the issues you can or connot deal with.... By the time you complete the homestudy the state will know just about everything about your family except maybe the color of panties you have on--and then I would not be too surprised if they asked you about that too! (JOKE)

As you go through the training you will find out some of the reasons why the process takes as long as it does---and why good families who wish to help cannot simply walk into social services and pick up a couple of kids to help!

The course of completeing your certification is desinged to weed out some of the idealistic people who will fail due to thinking we can save a child with simple love.

Your attention at this time needs to be centered on discovering the various issues a child who ends up in Foster Care might include. Study--Read--Study and Read--ask questions here and I suggest getting a bog box and filling it up with anything related to child issues that you can possibly find.

My box is seperated in sections dealng with:

Birth issues (drug exposer, prematurity, defects ect.)

Adbuse and neglect (attachement, sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect of feeding, neglect of attention, abandonment ect)

Emotional issues

Behavioral issues

Mental Health issues

Educational issues

Social issues

ADD and ADHD as well as other child syndroms such as Autisim, Sensory intergration ect

Fill your box up with EVERYTHING because after a child is placed you may find you need something you once read a long time ago....and hopefully it will be in your box!

When you start to work with a caseworker--be 100% open and honest with the worker they will only be able to make a good match if they fully understand you and your family. Between the education you give yourself and the insight your worker has about you the hope and goal is that the matches you accept will Fit with your family. The only way for success is to have a proper match and the only way for that is information.

If your community has a Foster Parent support group see if you can start attending the meetings before the homestudy is done....you will get a clear idea of the realities of Fostering after spending an hour or two listening to people who are in the trenches....don't believe that you are different--magic or know something that will make yoursituation better! Keep in mind that any child who is in Foster Care has suffered a great loss and also remember that if you are asked to Foster a child and feel the slightest negative gut reaction about the possible situation you are allowed to pass---it is hard to pass but, if you are not 100% sure you are ready for the child based on what you do know--then you will be in for a hard road because anything that scares you up front will be harder then you imagined!

Good luck and keep surfing these boards--ask questions and remember the only stupid question is the one you do not ask.