Change of plans

We are currently in the T.P.R. phase with our placement.  Our next hearing is not for a couple of months.  "Princess" is a child we have had placement of since getting our Level 1 license just under one year ago.  This week we will have our monthly in-home visit from her OCM, Ongoing Case Manager.  Due to the age of our placement, the OCM visits her twice a month, once in the foster home and the other in her daycare/school environment.  We hope to get an update on our situation as there has been a possible change of plans. There are two ways a parent loses their rights to their biological child.  One way is involuntarily, meaning all sources to bring reunification to the child and parent have been exhausted and the home is not a safe place for the child to return to, so the court system deems the parent unfit and will terminate the rights for them.  The other way is voluntarily, where the biological parents choose to sever their rights to the child and that will allow for the child to be raised by someone else, whether a relative or an adoptive resource.  Whatever the outcome, we are blessed to have Princess in our lives and know that God always has her in His hands, just like you and me!

T.P.R.

I have been a foster parent for just under a year now and have had a foster child for the same amount of time.  Children in foster care will have an evaluation done every 6 months by the county's foster care system per A.S.F.A. law. This will determine if the child should be reunified with their birth family, live with relatives/kinship, or be placed in an adoptive home.  After 15 months in foster care, the system needs to determine which path is best for the child and proceed in that direction. One of those paths may be an adoptive home.  For that to happen, T.P.R. needs to occur.

In the foster care world, T.P.R. stands for Termination of Parental Rights.  Most of the time, it is to end the rights biological parents have to their child/children.  I can tell you first-hand it is an arduous process.  There are two phases in the T.P.R. hearing process.  The first is the fact-finding phase, a set of court hearings to make sure that all resources have been presented and exhausted for the biological parents to keep their child.  The second phase is the best-interest phase; simply put, what is the best interest for the child?  An adoptive resource would need to be identified for the child by this phase.  Adopting parent(s) are people that are willing to take the foster child as their own, legally responsible for them till 18 years of age.  The T.P.R. process is a very serious matter because we do not want to create orphans in society.  It can take months to come to a conclusion, all for the sake of the children.

Wow.

A dear friend of mine lost her 2 year old daughter suddenly.  She was a playmate to my foster daughter ever since I got Little One almost a year ago.  I knew of "R" when her mama and daddy first learned about her and flew to where she was almost 3 years ago.  She truly was placed in this family by God.  "R" was a sweet child with special needs and she made an impact on me!  I will miss her and remember her next week when she would have had her 3rd birthday here on earth.  Instead, she is having the best birthday party anyone could have, one with Jesus.

A better way?

As a new foster mama, I just wonder when is enough, enough with the foster care system.  I understand the need for foster parenting as I am currently helping to recruit for more foster families.  In the course of meeting with other foster/adoptive mamas, I have learned of an agency that is trying to come into the state of Wisconsin to help prevent kids from going into the foster care system called Safe Families.  I firmly believe in this organization that I am trying to help the Milwaukee Director help change the state laws for Wisconsin in regards to this matter.

Here is the history of Safe Families from their website:

Safe Families for Children provides a loving sanctuary where parents can safely and voluntarily place their children in times of need. Founded in 2002 by LYDIA Home Association, a Chicago based Christian social service agency, Safe Families for Children has partnered with the local church to grow to a network of over 1000 volunteer families serving as many as 1000 children and families last year alone.

Successfully established in more than 13 states, Safe Families partners with host agencies, local churches, ministries, as well as community and government agencies to intervene in the lives of children and families that would otherwise be forgotten. 

Of course there would be screening, background checks and a home study involved if you choose to be a host family.  You can find out more information about joining SFFC here.  Why not consider becoming a Safe Family and help care for children who may otherwise end up in foster care unnecessarily?

Foster Parenting in Your Future?

Here is a great article about 10 Things You Can Do Now to Be Ready To Do Foster Care Later. Thanks to Carrie Craft @ about.com for this article!

Adoption Resources of Wisconsin

If you have not already, check out Adoption Resources of Wisconsin, located in the Metro Milwaukee Area.  I highly recommend using their calendar to see what training resources are available to you.  Or check out their online library!

Northern & Western Wisconsinites!

Are a pre-adoptive or post-adoption family, regardless of where your kiddos came from?  Then check out this picnic happening Monday, June 20th in LaCrosse!