[einstein]

I happened to catch this episode last week on Primetime Live on ABC about the foster care system in the US. It was such a sad, sad story. It made me wish I could take in all of these lost children. Some were in their mid-teens and just wanted a safe and loving home and a dog. It was really eye-opening. Did anyone else catch it?

[hopefulx2]

No, I didn't catch the program, however, I do have an experience fostering a teen girl for 30 days and it was awful! The social worker failed to tell me that I was the 6th foster mom in two years for this 13 yr old, and other issues like she had run away and stolen money from her other homes. I thought I could make a difference, so I took her in but right away she had so many issues like demanding her share of the foster care stipend (I hadn't recieved a dime yet), wanting her court advocate to visit 2xwk in our home (way too invasive), she had to be taken to psych appts wkly (DCFS wanted me to attend too), she stole food (40lbs overweight and would gorge when I slept) and the last straw was when she said she was going to tell her counselor I abused her! I packed all her things and had my husband take her back to the DCFS office and she was placed in a group home. Not all of those kids can handle a regular home when they have been in the system for years. I tried, but we were not the right family for her and I have no regrets sending her away.

[einstein]

Wow, what a story! I can only imagine how all of this affected you. I'd want to do the same thing -- help out a child and do some good, but I see it's not all cut and dry, like you explained. The kids have so much baggage and it must be so difficult to assimilate them into a normal home environment. I think that most of the girls on this program the other night were in group homes. I commend you for giving it a try and attempting to do some good in this world.

[deidra_mitchell00]

I am a foster parent to a small child and it sounds like you had a hard time with your first placement. I encourage you not to give up. Not all these kids are bad and yes they all have baggage but then again don't we all.