WOYWW 191 - Foster Class #1

 

Here's my desk this week!  I actually did some art earlier this week...All the little ATCS on the right side of my desk are for swaps I'm hosting (or thinking about hosting).   Right now I'm hosting Watercolor Signs of Spring, and I'm considering posting a monochromatic watercolor swap too.  If you can see out the window, you might be able to see snow falling.  Yesterday the temperature was in the 60s and 70s...today it's snowing!    Also on my desk is the large packet of notes for the class we are taking to get licensed to foster children.  That's my desk this week!  Thanks for visiting :)  Thank you Julia for hosting What's on Your Workspace Wednesday!  The rest of this post is about our experience as we get licensed to foster children (WOYWW readers stop here).

Foster Class 1

Last night after work, Chase and I hurried off to make it STARS class.  During this first 3 hour session, we watched a video about foster parents to sort of introduce us to the subject, introduced ourselves to our classmates, and discussed how the agency we're working through (Great Circle) works with Children's Division. 

STARS stands for Specialized Training Assessment Resources Support/Skills. 

So what's the difference betwen fostering a child and adopting a child?  Well to foster means simply to nuture.  When you foster a child, you take that child into your home and help him/her to grow in a family setting.  The ultimate goal of foster care is reunification with the biological family.  As a foster parent, you are part of a professional team and you are expected to work together with the case worker, children, and biological family.  Adoption means you take that child in as your own child both in a legal sense and emotional sense.

The children we hope to take into our home will probably have suffered and endured more than most children.  They are forcibly removed from their family and life they've know and brought into our home.  The primary goal for this class is to equip foster parents with the skills and knowledge (competencies) needed to care for these children

Competencies:
- Protecting and nuturing children
-Meeting children's developmental needs and addressing developmental delays
-Supporting relationships between chldren and their families.
Connecting children to safe, nurturing relationships intended to last a lifetime
-Working as a member of a professional team.

The 4 levels of competencies:
1. being aware
2. understading and knowing
3. having skills
4. using skills

Before we can become foster parents, we must at least be competent at the first 2 levels (being aware, and understanding and knowing). 

After each class, we have additional reading and homework :)  This process is going to be a lot of work, but we're still proceeding!  I'll be sure to share my thoughts and updates on how the process is going.


Peace and Love, y'all!