Tonight's class...

I guess I have to start with the waiting room.  When I got to the agency the waiting room was empty.  I wasn't that early so i was a little weirded out.  But, shortly after I got there it filled up.  First, there was Foster Mom #1 with 4 boys all around the age of 4 years old.  Then the mom of two of those boys showed up for her visit.  She was SO excited to see the boys and they were excited to see her.  

Then entered Foster Mom #2.  She had two boys and a girl with her.  (here are my guesses on ages) Boy #1 4-5 years old.  Girl 3 years old.  Boy #2 2 years old.  We will come back to them.

Then came in Foster Mom #3.  She is foster mom to the baby sister of the two boys that were already visiting with their mom.  She was probably around 6 mo. old.  Mom was very excited to see her too.  I am not good at guessing adult ages...but mom wasn't that old.  She brought snacks for her kids and chatted with them.  At one point she asked the oldest if they had seen their dad yet.  He shook his head no.

By now the Mom of Foster Mom #2's kids has come in.  She isn't as excited to see the kids as the first mom, but seems happy enough.  She is well dressed and has lots of tattoos.  Her little girl wants her to pick her up so she does.  She has a bag of toy for them to "take home with them".

The doors open for me to walk back to the classroom...   

We had a guest speaker tonight.  The man who spoke to us is the man that will call us if there is a child they want to see if we will take.

He was a man about my Dad's age (late 40's-early 50's).  He had on motorcycle boots and carried around a Harley Davison Mug of coffee.  He had a salt and pepper mullet and beard.  He looked comfortable...like his personality would be comfortable...and it was.

He was generally soft spoken and talked at a pace that let his words sink in.  

He was there to tell us how they are contacted by people about kids that may need foster homes, what happens when the children are taken, where they go that night, how the next day the kids, family, attorney and social worker all go to court, and then, they are brought to the agency to be met by him and us, the foster parent.

He explained how scary it is to be 4 years old and be taken in the middle of the evening by a person you don't know and a few police officers.  How you get into a police car and are taken to the house of someone you don't know and are shown where you are going to sleep and are expected to sleep there (24 hr. emergency foster care).  How when you get up in the morning you have to eat breakfast and then the lady that took you last night comes back to take you to the court house.  He described how, while at the court house, you will see mommy and daddy but you won't be able to sit with them, talk to them or hug them.  Then, after a long day at the court house, you will be put in a car and taken to another place you have never been before(the agency).  Then you will meet ANOTHER person (foster parent) you have never seen before and listen to them and another person (him) talk about lots of things you don't understand.  Then, you will have to get in the car with the foster parent and go to ANOTHER house you have never been to before... 

Half way thru I am about to cry.  When you really stop to think about what these kids are going thru just in the span of 24 hours you realize how scary this must be for them.  It's not fair, they didn't do anything wrong-but I am sure to them it feels like they are being punished.  Even when they are being saved.

Every time I think of it I pray that God will build a bond between me and what ever child comes into our home starting right now...before we even meet.  I ask God to do this because of how scared these kids are going to be.  Because of how not fair all of this is for them.  Because I want them to feel safe.  I ask God to build a bond between us that won't make any sense...because I know HE can.

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I just wanted to take a minute and tell Brook thank you from kobe for the 2 additions to his Mac-Donald's Star Wars set.  Brook gave Kobe two new toys and I thought that was so sweet of her.  Thanks Brook!

And, thank you Cindy for watching Kobe during our classes.  You are ALWAYS there for us and we really appreciate it!