Placement Challenges

When you receive a new child into your home you expect certain challenges. It is hard to get information about the child if the parent is mad and isn't willing to cooperate with DSS. We have had challenges with getting medical information, school information, mental health information, behavior information, pretty much anything about the child information.  However, you would think that if you are receiving a child from another foster home and the child has been in care for a while you should be able to get all that information.... nope.

Newest placement had a melt down at school. I asked the social worker what services he was receiving since all we could tell from his school records was speech. I could tell he was struggling in class and that was the basis of his meltdown. The social worker said well I just know his grades were getting better. I asked the school to contact special services to see what they could find.  Oh, he has an IEP and should be spending a good part of his day with special services.

How did I know to contact special services? Because I received another child from another foster home who had an IEP and no one told us. The school had to contact special services to get the information. For some reason when the school records transfer that information doesn't. Seems kind of like critical information to me!

I am working on medical forms for my kids for the adoption paperwork and I realize that the new kid has been with us almost a month. I requested a therapist right away because of anger issues and then a second time after the school incident, no sign of a therapist. I also have no idea who he saw for a doctor. I need to call tomorrow to get his medicaid information and probably look at transferring him to a local doctor. Then I need to ask for his dental information. Actually all my kids need a dental appointment. I wonder how little man will do with that!

Oh, and new placement asked us to adopt him.