Z: First Couple Days

As expected, with each foster child we get more comfortable and understand fostering better. It is interesting that our three placements so far have all been:
- Young Boys
- In Kindergarten
- First Placement

When a foster child arrives, the assessment and learning curve is steep. Our role as a foster parent is to start gathering information and relay that to the many professionals who will now be in charge of Z's future.

Here is what we know so far about Z, our 6 year old:

• He is a joyful child who is quick to laughter, loves toy cars and likes to play basketball
• He had a great time at the park and we started teaching him how to swing independently
• He is eating frequently, enjoys lots of different foods and ketchup is his favorite condiment for sure!
• He has slept well the last two nights but awoke at 4am this morning and did not go back to sleep ... ugh
• He is super active and focus shifts frequently
• There are several areas where he will need attention and we help identify those in his service plan
• Emotionally he has not been sad or upset yet but he probably does not really understand what is going on ... he has referred to his Mom and Dad a couple times but not too much
• He has called us Mama and Daddy already ... hmmmm ... in foster care we approach what kids call us organically allowing the child to drive that paradigm so we will see where this goes

Foster Dad playing with Z!

Foster Dad waiting for Z to appear :)

Park Fun!

Z found the Superman costume and we are working on building a lego car!

Thankful for help for Z: school uniforms, PJs, underwear, socks, shirts, gloves, hat, legos, jacket, pants, shoes - wow! 

And a Dino Backpack for school tomorrow!

And more help that fills Z's empty closet :)

Well ... this guy has GOT TO GO. C and Z have both been afraid of this baseball dude.

Z ... Foster Son #3

Z arrived sound asleep in the arms of kind and sorta funny gentlemen, a CPS worker. A CPS Investigator doing her first placement accompanied him. Our Jonathan's Place caseworker arrived. We signed all the paperwork. Z has never been in foster care and he is 60 miles from his home.

I know more now. I know that the Medical Consenter and Education Decision Maker forms are critical. I know to ask about a Medicaid number. I know to ask about CASA, Guardian Ad Lidem, court dates and kinship care. I know to enroll Z in school Monday. I know to take Z for his required 3 day medical visit next Tuesday and schedule his 30 day visit at Children's Rees-Jones Foster Center.

And I know a six year old will wake up in the morning in a strange bed in a room he does not recognize and in a house with people he has never seen in his life. He will be afraid. He will be confused. He will be traumatized. We will try to explain what foster care is and why his mother is not here. He will not possibly understand; how can he?

Z arrived with a bag with a few items that CPS could provide. Tomorrow we will start to learn about this precious kindergartener and we will provide a home.