Training

Up to this point we have finished 7 of our 11 required classes. Without the holidays we probably would have been finished by now but the breaks have been good too. Our class is huge, 42 of us I think. The agency decided to let everyone stay in the class because there is such a need for good foster homes right now. I am glad because I hated feeling guilty over my selfishness! A few of the couples in our class already have kinship placements, most are wanting to adopt and the rest of us want to foster. People ask me all the time if I want to adopt and I'm not sure what to say. I am going into this wanting to help strengthen families and to love a child that needs a safe place to be. If I say no, well that sounds a little heartless but we are not fostering so that we can adopt, but of course if a child that we have loved and taken care of ends up not reunifying with their parents we would want to adopt that child. It is just a weird question to me, it goes along with "I could never do that". Ugh, really people. I have read alot of foster blogs dealing with this topic lately, most say they are not anything special, they just do what others won't. I say to them, "you are special!" It does take a special person who is willing to put aside their own needs and maybe even those of their families to help these kids and families, not everyone will do that. I have actually really enjoyed our PS MAPP classes, I have learned alot about myself and have a better understanding of what these kids are going through. I have realized that my experiences as a child from a broken family will help me relate somewhat to these precious children. My husband is more on board than ever, we are excited to complete our home study and finish up our training so that hopefully in a few months we will finally be licensed foster parents!