Last week, I was feeling sort of uninspired, and so I decided to try something new. I thought (to myself), “Why don’t I go to the CPS office with my laptop, and write about foster care from there?” It seemed like a great idea at the time, since my usual writing spot at the local café was getting too routine. So, I packed up my computer and went to the CPS office. I know what you’re thinking; “Why didn’t I think of this”, …right? Wrong. You didn’t think of it, because it’s a bad idea.

I walked into the lobby of the CPS office, which also doubles (or triples) as the family assistance and job services office. They put all the depressing, hopeless, un-welcoming services in one building, so you don’t have to go to more than one place to be totally discouraged. Anyway, I walked in and went to an empty space at the counter near the job services end of the building, plugged in my laptop, and started writing.

The next thing I know, the lady behind the (what do you call the thing that separates the receptionist from the public?) glass/plexiglass, is asking me if I signed in. Did I sign in? Sign in for what? She says, “hang on a minute”, and comes out to talk to me. She asks me what I am doing, and I say “I’m writing”. She asks me if it is job related, and I say no, even though technically it is job related, but she meant was it related to me looking for a job.

And then she says something about me using their electricity, but I am already unplugging and packing up my stuff. I don’t want to make a big deal, I just thought it would be a good place to get some inspiration about what is wrong with the system. In that regard, I am right. I am reminded of why it is that parents, job seekers, and families that need some support don’t like to go here. It’s because it is very un-welcoming, and the energy in the place is very stagnant.

There is a feeling that there is something wrong with you when you step inside the building. You either have no job, are on welfare, or had your kids taken away from you for some reason. You might also be there because of some combination of the three. Regardless, it’s not a place that you want to go to, and it would help if there was someone there to greet you, or to ask how you are doing? They have these people at Walmart, why not here? My point is that this is also mainly where family visits take place. But it is not exactly a neutral location, where all the parties involved in the case can feel comfortable.

Contrast this with the feeling you get when you walk into an adoption agency, or talk to an adoption worker. With the adoption agency, there is a sense of great hope and joy. They have all these kids waiting for homes, and it could be you who they are waiting for! Life is good!

There needs to be that sense of hope for kids coming in to care, that people are really going to help them and their families get back together, and if that is not possible, then there will be a better place for them to go. Sure, it’s stressful for the kids and the parents. But why can’t there be a more positive approach to helping them?