Hurrah for wonderful firsts!

[Smithie]

Update on page 3

I guess our license went through, because we Got The Call. The placement didn't sound permanent, but it met all of our criteria for possible permanence (age, gender, history) so we decided to go for it and see how things developed. 

His name is J. The CPS worker is on-scene executing the removal order, and will call you before drop-off.

 
OK. 

Twenty minutes later...

We can't find him.

Huh?

We found the baby and he's going to his foster family right now. We'll call you later tonight or tomorrow if we find J.

IF YOU FIND HIM? Is there another option besides finding him? Is there an indication that something bad has happened to him?

No, the parent just won't cooperate with law enforcement.

---

J, wherever you are tonight, I hope you are safe and well.  

Edited by Smithie - 7/19/11 at 12:17pm

[queenjane]

I had a little 1 yr old girl once, they couldnt find her for awhile. The mom had given birth in the hospital to the youngest (who was maybe her fifth kid??) and he tested positive for drugs so they wouldnt let her take him home and said she had to turn over the other children. She hid them, where they dont know but they assume with relatives. It took them awhile to find all the kids, and i got the 1 yr old for a couple months.

[Smithie]

I'm hopeful that this case will resolve in that way - that J is hidden with maybe-sketchy but non-dangerous friends or relatives, and the social workers or cops will find him soon. 

Mom is going to jail, so the kids have got to be somewhere, and we're hoping to foster J for a few months minimum while they shake the family tree for suitable kinship matches, and/or line up an adoptive home that will take both the boys together. That's not us, but maybe it's the foster family that just took the toddler, or maybe it's somebody who's only taking post-TPR or TPR-track placements. Though it's not clear if the sibs are full or half, or if they've customarily resided together, so that may change how the workers prioritize placing them together in the long term. 

All this assuming that they find him. 

[kayleesmom]

praying the find J soon.

[Smithie]

He's been found. He's here. He's wonderful. He's temporary, I'm almost sure - a relative has already expressed interest in taking both boys. 

[WifeMomChiro]

I pray they find him safe and sound soon.

[Smithie]

He's found!

He had a hard time going to sleep - I had to crash on a camp cot in the hall, since the law in its infinite wisdom doesn't allow foster parents to room-share or bed-share with the shellshocked toddlers in their charge. Otherwise, pretty much the easiest transition in the history of foster care. 

Edited by Smithie - 6/16/11 at 7:57am

[Lakeeffectsnow]

I'm glad they found him.  You are over sharing personal information of a foster child, it may be in violation of your agreement.  It sounds like you are excited and need someone to talk to about it.  Even my 87 year old great mother is on the internet these days. Nine year old kids have Face book accounts.

[Smithie]

Thanks for the advice, I'll edit. Hope those who are interested had a chance to read...

[Polliwog]

I don't know what you shared since I wasn't here but usually as long as you don't post identifying information or pictures, you'll be fine. That varies by location, though.

Smithie, it's a shame that kids can't be in a foster parent's room there. DD's crib was in my room for most of her first three years.

[Smithie]

I think what I posted was legally/contractually fine, but why not be cautious, eh? The last thing I need to is tick off these people (meaning workers, biofamily, whoever). 

I believe kids can room-share with an adult only until the age of 1 here. In any case, I had a had enough time getting my biokids to abandon the notion of cosleeping and go back to their own beds, and if I'd been in the room myself I'm pretty sure it would have been impossible. 

[Smithie]

One more night! 

[Polliwog]

My daughter was supposed to be here less than two weeks. But the relatives didn't pass the screening.

[Smithie]

Even if these maternal relatives don't pass, for J's sake I have to hope that he can placed long-term in the same home as his little brother. But if little brother gets a paternal kinship placement with a family unrelated to J, then I'll switch mental gears and start thinking about keeping J until reunification is resolved either way. 

Four kids at the pool - whew! Keeps you on your toes! 

[Smithie]

The emergency placement coordinator has apparently had enough of this case. She's kicking it to the regular workers, who will staff it Monday afternoon. I'll take J to the doctor, etc. 

Does anybody know if I serum tests for HIV, Hep, etc. are covered by Medicaid? Does that vary by state? I know I can get my ped to order them. 

[Polliwog]

I have no idea if Medicaid covers them but I'd check to see if you're allowed to have tests like that run.

[sesa70]

As far as I know (in Illinois at least) you need special permission in order to have a foster child screened for HIV and Hep. but of course it varies from state to state.

Originally Posted by Smithie 

The emergency placement coordinator has apparently had enough of this case. She's kicking it to the regular workers, who will staff it Monday afternoon. I'll take J to the doctor, etc. 

Does anybody know if I serum tests for HIV, Hep, etc. are covered by Medicaid? Does that vary by state? I know I can get my ped to order them. 

[Smithie]

Special permission, huh? That should be fun to obtain. But give the high-risk history, hopefully reason will prevail on that one. Oh well, it can wait until a permanent worker is assigned. I'm not really worried about any of the rest of the family getting infected from casual contact, but about getting any chronic illness DXed and a treatment regimen started. Maybe mom will be tested while she's in custody, and the workers will be able to determine from that if testing for the kids is needed. 

[Tigerchild]

You shouldn't run elective tests/treatments on a foster child (and a temporary placement at that) without permission from the worker.  If you're that worried about infectious diseases, institute the proper cleaning/precautions.  Have gloves available if you need to treat a scrape and you have an open wound on your hands.  HIV is incredibly hard to transmit.  You may wish to think about immunizing your family (not your foster child, though it's likely they already have been) for Hep B.  Educate your children about best practices for first aid/bodily fluid clean up.

You may have access to a bloodbourne pathogens class through your agency (if not, they're required for child care workers in many states, so you can find low cost options when that's the case).

If you need bloodwork on every child coming in to your home, that's really something that you should make sure the workers know about.  You do NOT want to do it first and ask permission later, which would probably (rightly so) put your license at risk.

In any case, operating with common sense precautions is really something you should be doing anyway.  As much as this is unfair, unfortunately medical records get screwed up, information is not/mis-communicated, all kinds of weird stuff is going on.  It's good to get into the habit of using gloves to clean up blood and body fluids in general (it's not weird or impersonal, though until it becomes routine it might feel like it).  And if you do ever take care of a kid who has HIV, chances are a) there's no way you won't know it, because your life will be consumed with the medications (unless things have gotten a lot better than when I last took care of a kid on the meds) and b) YOU and your children are far more dangerous to that child than the other way around.  Hep B made me more nervous than HIV, to be honest.  But even then--it's unlikely to be a problem unless you regularly swap spit with a carrier or share needles.

[lauren]

Sending you hugs, Smithie, on your first placement. I hope you can catch your breath soon.