jmoser
December 29th, 2007, 04:52 PM
I can say that as a former foster child I want to provide another foster child with the best possible care. My experience in foster care was mainly negative and the biological children called us "stupid group home girls" and the parents weren't always caring. My last foster family, Rob and Tina, were awesome and biked with us everyday and even rented out a dance studio for us to have a holiday party at. The other foster parents disapproved greatly, but they were my first real family. They treated us as their family and spent all the time with us they could, we were all a family.
So I admit I have some tears when I look back at those days, but like many case workers I've spoken too, they are aware that the system isn't perfect and my own case worker broke down the day of my emancipation and apologized for all she couldn't do to help me. I know that not every foster home is bad, there's plenty of good ones with emotionally involved parents. Its the bad ones that ruin it for the good ones though.
I am 25 years old currently and have decided after I finish my schooling I will be looking for a house that will be big enough for me to turn into a home where I can foster children. I'm finishing up a Medical Assisting degree and I am CPR certified and want to go into Nursing or Social Work afterwards, I'm undecided. I would like to double major, but I'm waiting till the youngest gets a little older.
My husband is a tremendous help, he was also a child in the foster care system, sadly the system didn't detect his immigration status and he was never made legal. His father brought him here and at 9 years old abandoned him to the streets. His mother was sent to prison for kidnapping infants and selling them to the U.S., so he didn't have anyone for him growing up. Both his sisters grew up in a Mexican orphanage and also didn't have anyone when growing up. They were just reunited by phone about 3 years ago, after 20 years of no contact.
I'm currently working on immigration papers with my husband, so I'm in the dream and plan stage, but we both feel that we could provide something wonderful once his immigration status is adjusted and he receives a permanent residency card.
So in the mean time I'm looking to speak w/ other foster care families and get a feel for the licensing requirements and skills needed to bring foster children into my home. My husband is bilingual so I feel we could offer support to children who are Spanish speaking, as well as provide a way for them to learn English. Both of our children are bilingual and I'm learning more Spanish everyday. I've also taken classes in Psychology and plan to continue with ongoing education. Our children are very advanced and I believe in reading to my children, getting them involved in activities (my oldest is a cheetah belt in tae kwon do), and his kindergarten teacher says he is the most advanced student in his class and actually wanted teaching tips from us. He is so advanced he is her assistant and is showing the other children how to use the computer and has started doing 1st grade homework already. I know there will be heartbreak, wrong decisions made by judges and social workers, but I'm prepared and feel that if I can be involved in a child's life in some ways I can help them repair from the damage and prepare for their future.
Please email me at jenntito2000@aol.com as I would like to start correspondence with others in hopes of becoming more educated when I do start foster caring other children.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Jennifer
So I admit I have some tears when I look back at those days, but like many case workers I've spoken too, they are aware that the system isn't perfect and my own case worker broke down the day of my emancipation and apologized for all she couldn't do to help me. I know that not every foster home is bad, there's plenty of good ones with emotionally involved parents. Its the bad ones that ruin it for the good ones though.
I am 25 years old currently and have decided after I finish my schooling I will be looking for a house that will be big enough for me to turn into a home where I can foster children. I'm finishing up a Medical Assisting degree and I am CPR certified and want to go into Nursing or Social Work afterwards, I'm undecided. I would like to double major, but I'm waiting till the youngest gets a little older.
My husband is a tremendous help, he was also a child in the foster care system, sadly the system didn't detect his immigration status and he was never made legal. His father brought him here and at 9 years old abandoned him to the streets. His mother was sent to prison for kidnapping infants and selling them to the U.S., so he didn't have anyone for him growing up. Both his sisters grew up in a Mexican orphanage and also didn't have anyone when growing up. They were just reunited by phone about 3 years ago, after 20 years of no contact.
I'm currently working on immigration papers with my husband, so I'm in the dream and plan stage, but we both feel that we could provide something wonderful once his immigration status is adjusted and he receives a permanent residency card.
So in the mean time I'm looking to speak w/ other foster care families and get a feel for the licensing requirements and skills needed to bring foster children into my home. My husband is bilingual so I feel we could offer support to children who are Spanish speaking, as well as provide a way for them to learn English. Both of our children are bilingual and I'm learning more Spanish everyday. I've also taken classes in Psychology and plan to continue with ongoing education. Our children are very advanced and I believe in reading to my children, getting them involved in activities (my oldest is a cheetah belt in tae kwon do), and his kindergarten teacher says he is the most advanced student in his class and actually wanted teaching tips from us. He is so advanced he is her assistant and is showing the other children how to use the computer and has started doing 1st grade homework already. I know there will be heartbreak, wrong decisions made by judges and social workers, but I'm prepared and feel that if I can be involved in a child's life in some ways I can help them repair from the damage and prepare for their future.
Please email me at jenntito2000@aol.com as I would like to start correspondence with others in hopes of becoming more educated when I do start foster caring other children.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Jennifer