Foster Care Musings

Yes, it is 2 am here and I am up.  I should be in bed since Monday and Tuesdays I have class and they are long days.  However, I can't sleep.

Our life has gotten complicated with one phone call.  We never expected to have a teenager in our home.  Let alone a teenager who really did need us.  We were in the right place at the right time.  We were the only option for this area. If we hadn't been willing to change our foster license then our teen would have went to another school district.  Moving schools is hard for kids, it is especially hard for teenagers.

We have no idea how long she will be with us.  Family may step forward and she could be gone rather quickly.  I say "rather" because I haven't seen too much of quick within DSS unless they are doing something surprising.

We can have 5 kids under the age of 18 in our home (although we have gotten permission to have 1 extra before).  Jason, Tasha and Joselin do not count against our number.  So we have Anthony, Larissa, Sarah and teen in our home.  We have one opening.  If we were looking to do just foster that wouldn't be a concern.  However, we have been trying to adopt a sibling group.  We have not had much action in the adoption front so it shouldn't be a problem. 

So why am I up late at night thinking about this?  If we suddenly get a call for a sibling group then we would have to make a choice between our foster teen and the adoption of a sibling group.  My teen has only been here a short time but she has told her GAL and friends that she is happy here and wants to stay.  We like her.  True she may be honeymooning.  But it feels more like Joselin is honeymooning.  Joselin wants to be bff with this girl so has been nice to the little ones since the new teen is.  Hmmmmm, interesting turn of events.

I wonder what the odds are that we will get a call now that we have a foster kid in the home that we don't want to disrupt. 

In case anyone is wondering how we fit all these kids - Jason, Joselin and Anthony have their own bedrooms.  Sarah used to share with Tasha but Tasha has moved in with Larissa.  Tasha is gone for predeployment training so is willing to sleep in the castle bed (there is a mattress up and down) for the short period of time she will be around.  Sarah and the teen share a room. Naturally John and I have the master downstairs.  We are constantly changing around furniture.  We still have the cribs sitting up in Jason room leaning against the wall and a twin daybed in our bedroom for when Larissa needs to be close.

So, that is how we roll.

What do you think, will we get a call from adoptions now?