[shycar]

I was going through different counties waiting children. A few months ago I saw two sisters looking for a home. They looked familiar, well I realize I fostered their youngest sister a few years back. I guess they came back into the system and the youngest got adopted, but the other two have not. The two oldest had tons of issues, but I was sad to see them back in foster care again waiting for a home. Then today I look and I see this very rare name. Its a rare name that I have seen once 5 years ago. I pull up the picture and there is this little red head boy looking for a home. I was shocked. We fostered him 5 years ago. I guess he is back. That makes me so sad. I thought his mom got it all together, but I guess I was wrong. I think Im going to call and find out about him. He was such a good baby I would love to have him back, if possible.

[DianeScraps]

That is really awful, I hate to see kids swimming around in the system for so long


or maybe I should say sinking in the system

[CaddoRose]

That is sad. I wonder what percentage of foster children end up back in care?

[vernellinnj]

Originally Posted by shycar

I was going through different counties waiting children. A few months ago I saw two sisters looking for a home. They looked familiar, well I realize I fostered their youngest sister a few years back. I guess they came back into the system and the youngest got adopted, but the other two have not. The two oldest had tons of issues, but I was sad to see them back in foster care again waiting for a home. Then today I look and I see this very rare name. Its a rare name that I have seen once 5 years ago. I pull up the picture and there is this little red head boy looking for a home. I was shocked. We fostered him 5 years ago. I guess he is back. That makes me so sad. I thought his mom got it all together, but I guess I was wrong. I think Im going to call and find out about him. He was such a good baby I would love to have him back, if possible.

For this very reason, permanency should be deermined within reasonable timeframes. Prayerfully the little boy that you remember as a good baby has not been emotionally or physically damaged beyond repair. A former FC visited for the w/e with me after being home for 6 months. I tell you, it was different child! Would not eat anything reasonably healthy and refused to go to sleep...it was 11:00 P.M. and the child continued to turn on a tv that I had turned off. This same child was in bed no later than 8:30 on weeknights when with me (sometimes as early as 7:00 PM).

[RobinKay]

Originally Posted by CaddoRose

That is sad. I wonder what percentage of foster children end up back in care?

I would love to know also, CaddoRose.

That statistic would be so valuable in getting some laws passed with teeth. Both birthparents and the courts, social services, etc. all need timelines. The paperwork cannot be an excuse any longer.

[ArvadaFamily]

Hi Shycar.....I just sent ya an email on your post.....

Thanks

[MassachusettsMom]

Your post breaks my heart!! It is one of my worst nightmares for our FS: to see him on an adoption website in 5 or 10 years. It is so unbelievably wrong that this system allows for that to happen.

I would also be VERY interested in the statistics on kids returning to care. We talked to a family once whose social worker told them that in 20 years as a worker she had seen just 2 kids who were successfully reunified. That statistic is so horrible that I hope it was a misunderstanding.

[Mom2blessings]

Originally Posted by MassachusettsMom

Your post breaks my heart!! It is one of my worst nightmares for our FS: to see him on an adoption website in 5 or 10 years. It is so unbelievably wrong that this system allows for that to happen.

I would also be VERY interested in the statistics on kids returning to care. We talked to a family once whose social worker told them that in 20 years as a worker she had seen just 2 kids who were successfully reunified. That statistic is so horrible that I hope it was a misunderstanding.

At our IMPACT training, I believe they said that 75% of the children wind up in adoption. My mom and I were talking today about how drugs and alcohol are ruining so many families...it's sad indeed. In the 15 kids we've had in our home in the past 1.75 years, every single child has had family with drug issues.

[DianeScraps]

I know that my 2 were unsuccessfully reunited 3 times before the county decided to go for TPR.

[ProspectiveSingleMom]

I used to work on a child/adolescent psych ward, and I've had similar experiences with seeing former patients on photolistings. In fact, the reason I am starting the process of adoption now (rather than waiting a few years as I had originally planned) is because there is one particular former patient who I feel that I would be able to parent, and I just hate the thought that she might never get to have a stable home.