Comments for FosterWee

Comment on So much sadness by Joy M. Bruce

Joy M. Bruce — Sat, 25 May 2013 00:56:21 +0000

I was in a training session today that went into great detail about trauma-impacted kids in care, and this fits so well with what we were discussing. Blitzen is doing such a good job (with your help) to overcome the trauma she has been through and to find ways to articulate her feelings even when a physical reaction would understandably come easier to her. Y’all are all doing such a great job.

Comment on So much sadness by charmonium

charmonium — Fri, 24 May 2013 18:13:13 +0000

Poor Blitzen.
“Andrew and I have noticed that when Blitzen has a build up of big feelings – maybe she doesn’t understand what they are, maybe she can’t articulate what they are or maybe she is afraid to – she’ll search around for something that she thinks is a socially acceptable reason for the sadness and anger. ”

I recognize this in myself (am in therapy at the moment!). I’m sure that just being with you and Andrew, who accept her feelings calmly, is helping a lot. Make sure she knows that it’s okay to *not know* why you feel sad, and that she’s ‘allowed’ (as other caregivers may not have let her) to feel sad for any reason, big or small, or for no reason at all. Also make sure she knows that it’s natural for different people to have different emotions about the same thing; that one person might feel sad, another person angry, and another person not feel very strongly, and that is okay.

Comment on So much sadness by Marie

Marie — Fri, 24 May 2013 17:02:18 +0000

The stress of court maybe. Feeling guilty about letting go of her family of origin, “It’s all my fault.” Poor thing.

Comment on So much sadness by mandalyn11

mandalyn11 — Fri, 24 May 2013 16:18:43 +0000

Maybe she told you part of the truth about what was causing her such big feelings, her last part of the statement about Grandma dying, ‘and it was all my fault’, sound really telling to me. Given her recent talk with the law gaurdian, I wonder if shes having a reaction to her being in care and taking on all the responsibility for her and her siblings being seperated?

Not to psychoanalyze too much, but that little catch phrase in there sticks out a lot to me.

Comment on Blitzen’s favorite item by Rima Berzin

Rima Berzin — Fri, 24 May 2013 14:37:17 +0000

I had the honor of helping make mermaid garments yesterday. I can only tell you – it’s all I can think about also FABULOUS

Comment on Blitzen’s favorite item by KB

KB — Fri, 24 May 2013 04:09:28 +0000

Maybe should could write a letter to Linden Wolbert, a woman who lives the life of a mermaid.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/meet-real-life-mermaid-15-000-tail-article-1.1305351

Comment on Summer camp by marie

marie — Fri, 24 May 2013 01:27:27 +0000

Since Blitzen likes swimming so much, why not just send her to a “regular” camp. Swimming, movies, museum, arts and crafts etc. She can try lots of new things. I think that they even send buses to pick up the kids.

Comment on Blitzen’s favorite item by Joy M. Bruce

Joy M. Bruce — Thu, 23 May 2013 20:09:14 +0000

“It makes me feel like I am home.” — How beautiful and just PERFECT.

Comment on Blitzen’s favorite item by ebadia1

ebadia1 — Thu, 23 May 2013 19:48:03 +0000

Ahh mermaid tails that make tales so much better.. will she get wet in the rain…. thank you so much for sharing your universe.

Comment on Court, part 2 by Joy M. Bruce

Joy M. Bruce — Thu, 23 May 2013 06:08:10 +0000

Federal law states that a child is to have permanency after about one year in care, and if parents aren’t working their plan, then reunification is no longer the permanency plan for the child (I’m leaving out a LOT of detail).

Here’s the problem: there are situations in which that Federally mandated hearing can be waived (some of which are legitimate), but THERE IS NO SECOND TRIGGER DATE. In other words, once it’s waived, there is no “but you have to hold the hearing and make a decision within 6 months” or the like. Permanency can continue to be put off indefinitely because there are no penalties (read: cut off funding) after that point. It’s a crazy loophole that desperately needs to be closed.

There are many other ways that we fail to find permanency for foster youth; this is just one of the more obvious.