Continued............

Granted some foster families do not feel the need for respite but you have to remember that other foster parents may have different circumstances or deal with therapeutic children (they are a whole different ball game, so to speak). Believe me, there are some specialized therapeutic children that you would have to get a break from or you would go insane.

For most of my foster children I have not used respite. I am kind of funny about letting people I do not know care of my children even if they are foster children. I had to testify in court for CPS, so they tried to arrange care for my foster daughter with no cost to me. I did not want some stranger that I ever meet care for baby foster daughter and explained this to the caseworker. She assured me that she would be safe and the person passed a background check just as I had. I explained to her how I felt, I would not do that with any of my own children, so I would not do it with her either. Also, I was going to need someone to care for my three year old daughter. My foster daughter has never been separated with us especially my three year old, so I felt that it would be best for them to stay together and I would provide the name and address where my foster child would be. My caseworker found humor in my thought process and told me, I was too funny and very different. Needless to say my girls stayed together and I testify for CPS without having to worry about either of them.

I have done some respite care for other foster families. Mostly for parents that need training hours, or just time away or when a change of placement is needed and the agency needs time to find a place for the child. When you take children as respite going through a change of placement it is very possible that this child has some behaviors are issues. I have ended up becoming the foster parent for children in this situation. I always want to know why the foster family needs respite care for their children. The reason being is that I do not take children on holidays or when a foster family does not want to involve the child in family activities. I will take a foster placement just not respite care during the holidays. I will not support something that I did not agree with. Think about what kind of message you are sending to your foster children, when they are placed in respite care at holidays and other special occasions.


"If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice."
Neil Peart