[wrekdiver]

I was just wondering if the system has a high and low season. There are not very many posts and I have only had one potential placement (which I never got). Do you get, say, more placement request in the winter?
also, what are the little blue boxes with yellow arrows next to some threads but not others?

[aMarylandfamily]

We used to hate Fridays as that meant two day shutdowns!!!

DSS doesn't necessarily have a busier than usual time - generally July placements run slow as many workers are on vacation and those awaiting placement are set up for the Summer programs where they are currently placed so there is no immediate need to place. The number of placements is very high in May and June depending on where you are as committee groups are often convened in March, transition plans and documents (ICPC especially) are processed and visits/placement occur in May/June when the child(ren) finish the current school year.

Hope this helps.

[tlc4kidz]

We have consistently had the most calls in August and September and again in the April to May. A cw told me once that back to school is a busy time as well as when the weather gets really hot for a long period of time. Her guess was that when it's hot tempers tend to flare. It would make an interesting study.

Hang in there....you'll get a call.

[SmileMonkey]

From what I've been told, more cases come in when school is in session. This is because schools call DSS to make reports.

Remember, though, a lot of these kids are just emergency shelters and go home after court the next day.

It took us almost 2 years to get a placement that lasted for more than a few days. It's frustrating waiting but it'll happen.

[clynn]

I don't have to wait on calls as usually they ask me to take more when they call me to tell me the ones I have are leaving.I have not been without a placement and most of the time I am at my limit all the time.They would give me more but I don't have any empty beds or room in my van.I have three car seats in the van and have a six month old coming when my five year old leaves before school starts then I will have four in car seats.I love almost every minute of it!!!!

[Crane13]

We were licensed in July and got our first placement in October - a nine week early preemee who was just being discharged from the hospital. He was five pounds when we got him and 18 when he went home seven months later. Sine that first placement, we have not gone more then a week without a baby, and that was only because we needed a break to recover. We have had five little ones. Two were long term and three were shelter care.

Once they place a child with you and find that you can love that child and give them a temporary family that feels like a permanent one, you will be set for a life full of getting to love these kids that need it.

Summer placements slow down, as one of the biggest group of mandated reporters is teachers.

Enjoy your peaceful house! I am sure it will cahnge when you least expect it to! Jill

[SheldeMuse]

The arrows are on threads you've looked at, and will take you to the first unread post. Pretty handy, I didn't know what they were for till you asked. There's a lot of stuff I just ignore and hope I don't have to know how it works.

Shel

[Annie6]

In our state of Illinois our placements have been very slow. We have not had a placement for 4 yrs now, unless we want teens then we would be full.

There is a strong push to place kids in family homes as to foster homes. Looks good on paper that the numbers are down in the system. Foster placement is foster placement no matter what it still cost to place a child.

I have been told by old timers that we are going through a full circle. So hope fully it will pick up again when the courts realize that famliy placements are the besst fro a majority of children.

Annie6

[Love_um_all]

I was really surprised to find this thread, bc for weeks DH and I were thinking we were being avoided. A caseworker for another child we had stoped by the other night and I asked her if they were picking up less kids and she said yes, three caseworkers quit, and now everyone else has to pick up their cases. She said there has been a few teens lately... like a 17 year old the other day. So, I a glad to see that we are not the only ones wondering what happened to all the kids....

I told my husband not to worry about that bc a child has to be hurt or neglected to come into care. That is not a good thing to want... He said, no, kids are hurting all over and it is their job to find the kids, and our job to help them...

[Mammie]

Here in Metro - Michigan, our licencing caseworker told us that during or coming back from vacation time (Christmas, mid-winter break, Easter, and Summer break) is when the numbers jump up big time.

Although abuse happens anytime, she believed that when the school aged kids were home for long periods the parents would be driven to the brink!

At our last annual meeting, we were told that children entering in the foster care system has jumped considerbly. It was noted in the month of October 03, they placed 66 children in foster care (where the average norm in past years for the month of October was less than 15!)

Our foster children's caseworker told us this past March that in our agency (FIA) we go through 'runs'. One month it seems like all the cases coming in are siblings groups, then next month all teenagers. Another month may seem like an exculsive run on drug babies, and the next month mostly girls of any age.

[MothermayI?]

Cathy, do you mind me asking what state you are from?

[wrekdiver]

thank you to every for their responses. and thank you sheldmuse for finding the answer about the arrows.