Cute baby

Couple of months ago I "babysat" at the office. Sometimes when another worker has a removal we have kids at the office for a bit while they get the paperwork together or wait for a foster parent to come pick them up. I tend to voluteer for this when I'm around, playing with a kid is much better then paperwork! It also gives me some opportunity to learn a little bit more about the kids to share with the foster parents, especially the ones who come without a lot of info. Kids come to the office in all different ways. This one was from a drug raid and didn't even have a name at first (were able to figure it out as the family had been involved previously and got more info from parents).

The baby was not really distressed, willing to play with me, or whoever was around. Ready to laugh and enjoy the attention. Oh he was sooo cute. Big fat cheeks, big eyes, and curls! Needed a bath desperately but still would take him home in a heart beat. I got out a toy xylophones and it was interesting because when I played it, he would cover his eyes. I wasn't sure if he was playing peekaboo, or what. Didn't really seem to distress him but it was odd enough that I mentioned it to the worker. Worker wondered if it was cause he was high when they picked him up. His eyes were all dialated from the second hand meth and who knows what else. They were looking better when we were playing, but that may be why he was so ready to be having a good time and not really worried about what was going on. He was enjoying throwing up blocks in the air and giggling at cars going down a track. Can't imagine detoxing a 18 month old. It'll be interesting how his drug test comes back.

He was also just in a diaper and frosty (partly why he needed a bath) when picked up (and it was still winter). So I picked out an appropriate boy baby quilt for him to tuck around him in the car and he liked it. Not speaking to much but he rubbed it against his cheek. I share this because I know there are people out there who donate those blankets and other items for our kids just for cases like these. so THANKS!

Been a long time.... I've still been following some of the blogs but didn't feel up to posting anything. Things continue on about the same. I got piled on with a lot of cases and that takes quite a bit out. My numbers are somewhat down again which means I'll be getting more soon. Seems to come and go in waves. With my numbers down I should be catching up, but I still don't seem to get any where very fast. Takes time to close or transfer cases so I'm just as far behind on my day to day stuff. I've been working on old logs.... caught up through Aug 09. oh well. I'm trying to get caught up so i'm only a month or so behind by the end of Feb. my organizational skills are sadly lacking :)



I just got a great new case from a different division. Dad threatened the previous caseworker and strangly other worker's car windows were broken same night that a kin provider of said case expereinced same vandalism. Oh so glad the powers that be thought this would be a good case to give me. yep. the single caseworker who is the last to leave at night and is often there on days the office is closed. nice. so far things have gone ok. moved kids to an out of the way foster home. limit my communication with dad to emails. mom is off her rocker but seems harmless other then not being able to care for more then one kid at a time (too bad she's got more then one!). Dad has sued me, and that will be heard before the court, also had a couple of investigations on me and foster parents. i did break protical and shared a picture of dad with my housemate because if dad is around my house, they need to call 911. Dad is antisocial and pretty smart so i don't know how this all will end. doesn't matter so much about me, but i sure worry about the kids. even so i'd prefer not to die any time soon. i may be being a bit melodramatic, but the guy is really scary.

Sister blew her adotive home a couple of months ago. I've still got some hope though that we may be able to salvage something. I don't understand how this happens. i explained over and over Sister's behaviors. the homestudy worker explained over and over, the previous providers explained over and over, the therapist explained over and over. i guess they heard what they wanted to and thought she would act differently for them.

Greg made a huge turnaround after my last post. he is still in his placement. he calls them mom and dad now. he is no longer in a behavioral classroom at school. I guess he just needed a family to commit to him no matter what. that and medication has made a huge difference. he is growing into such a fine young man and i wasn't ever sure that would happen. wow.

Been some interesting talk here at dcfs about the haiti crisis and the orphans. at one point they said a plane was in the air bringing in a bunch of little kids and they needed help. everyone that i know is willing to do whatever is needed, but I doubt that the adoption agencies will want dcfs involved beyond providing basic caseworking needs. I don't know much about all that, but it does seem crazy to me. dcfs doesn't charge $20,000+ for adoptive parents. dcfs pays attorney's fees, pays for the family to care for the kid until adotion, and often has a small adoption subsidee after the adoption (I know its should be more!) which is as it should be since the state has an obligation to the kids. I guess none of that matters right now. just helping the people there.

i'd be more then willing to take a child if they have an extra one :) i'm sure there will be lots more families then kids.