Friday, April 02, 2010
Cherry Blossoms in D.C. New Foster Families in Maine.
I just returned from visiting Washington, D.C. Walking around the tidal basin to see the monuments amidst cherry blossoms truly was a treat. We immersed ourselves in history, touring the White House, the Halls of Congress, and several museums. The President signed the health care reform bill while we were there, so history was being made as well. While we are not making history at work this week, we are in the midst of licensing a new families to provide foster care for vulnerable kids in Maine. The Maine Division’s pre-service training series for prospective parents ended with three families proceeding for a home study. We expect they will be licensed and available for a placement by summer. At the moment, a challenge is matching child referrals to our available homes. Many of our current referrals are for older youth with high needs, while our families are hoping to work with younger children and their parents on reunification. Most of our new families are open to adoption if a child is unable to reunify with their birth parents and have no relatives who are able to provide a lifelong home. It is fair to say that most are not coming to us with an interest in fostering or adopting teenagers with significant emotional or behavioral needs. Bridging the discrepancy is a much tougher walk than strolling past cherry blossoms in D.C.,but it is one we are committed to at Casey Family Services.
