[mckenna]

i think it depends on the child's sw. that is why i don't believe the over worked underpaid theory. why, then can some social workers have their act together, be appreciative and respectful while other don't give you the time of day or are just plain rude. i think it comes down to work ethic. some people have it and others don't. my sister worked for dfs as a sw for 4 years, she was always finding clothes to fit kids that were just placed in the system, one child would only go to the dr if she took her, so she made time for that. she always found ways to get her kids families (foster or biological) "adopted" at christmas time. she had the same case load and number of hours as everyone else, but she prioritized and did her job well.

as far as support groups go, i don't live in a rural area but i attend a church sposered support group monthly. we meet on the 3rd fri of every month. it is a pot luck supper and the kids eat with us and then the facilitator gets a volunteer group to watch the kids for the last 1 1/2 hours and we have a speaker or topic of discussion surrounding foster/adoption. it is great. you get to spend time with families formed like yours and you get some adult time to discuss topics important to you.