A group of caseworkers and foster parents are working on this at our local agency.
The caseworkers are wanting to help refurbish a foster parent group, and are wondering what is needed and how to go about it. Encompassed in that is how to make sure that foster parents feel appreciated and not taken for granted.
It is difficult to get out one night a month for a support meeting. Arranging child care, transportation time in our rural area with foster parents coming from as far away as 30 miles, etc., etc. have caused us to have to really put our heads together to come up with some creative ideas. (Any ideas out there, BTW?? LOL) We're still working on the tiniest steps to get to some goals, but it's a start.
I've received two thank you notes from agency staff. It was VERY unexpected, but much appreciated. How thoughtful! I also wonder if caseworkers feel the same way at times...taken for granted and unappreciated. "That foster mom was on the phone with me every single day for 6 months and so did the biological family! And not one word of thanks! We sure get taken for granted, just because "it's our job"." So...I have this fantasy (that I might just manage to make a reality) that I do something nice for our caseworker. Hasn't happened yet, but it's in the inception stages.
