Foster parenting –staying active

Quarterly inspection and a call to ponder and pray over

We just passed our quarterly foster inspection.  We worked so hard to get approved to be foster parents that we want to keep our license up. We can do this and stay off the call list until we are ready to jump back in. We are not on the call list right now because my mom is quite ill and we are taking care of her. Some of the things they looked at during our inspection:

Double locks on back door (because we have a pool)

Cleaning supplies put up high and locked. A child safety latch on the cabinet under the sink is not sufficient

Running water, hot and cold

Mattress covers on the beds where children sleep

Plenty of room for the kids to sleep and a place for their things (history shows that some mean old foster parents have just put the kid in a corner with a trash bag full of their things). The kids need to have a place of their own.

Medicine double locked up. Things like Band-Aids and external medicine in separate place.

Guns and ammo locked up separately.

Fire extinguisher inspected, working, mounted.

Lots more, at least 2 pages, maybe 4 pages worth of things to go over.

We also need to keep up our quarterly training, which means attending parenting workshops and writing some book reports on the books I read over Christmas break before life threw us for a curve.

Meanwhile, we did get a call, quite recently.  Although we are not on the list, our wonderful social worker just wanted to tell us about it and give us a chance to have a look. It was in regards to the voluntary program and a mother who was going to have a little girl in just a few weeks.  As I heard about the mother’s drug use, I became uncomfortable, but still wanted to apply.

David and I prayed about it and talked it over and agreed that now is not the time. For one, that program costs a lot of money.  For two, I am stretched pretty thin right now taking care of my chronically ill mom and this job. A rubber band can only be stretched so far before it bursts. I would love to think I can handle my parent’s medical care, this job, the rest of our life –marriage, ministry and more and add on kids, but realistically something has to give. I am praying the situation changes, but for now we have to sit back, shed some tears, be thankful for today, and hope for another call down the road. And also remember to keep the Windex locked up high and not below the sink in case of any surprise inspections.