Wednesday, March 8, 2006

Children need foster homes


By DAYNA BARBEE

I spent the other night playing "Chutes and Ladders" at the Hailey Police Station, with children waiting for foster care placement. Questions from the children like, "Am I going to see my friends again?" or "How am I going to get to school?" went unanswered. They had just been removed from their home, with no guarantee of where they were going or what school they would be in the next day due to events that were out of their control. Now, also out of their control was staying in an environment where they could continue daily activities and a semblance of normalcy while the rest of the story was sorted out by the adults. At 10 p.m., the children were relocated to Twin Falls for foster placement, away from their friends and their comfort zone: the Wood River Valley.

I saw their faces, more filled with sadness than fear, as they began their journey to Twin Falls. Not only would they not be in school, but they were going away from everything and everyone they knew and/or loved. If it wasn't bad enough to be removed from your home, now they were being removed from the lives. As I watched the children go with the social worker, I thought, "How can a valley that has emergency placement for abused dogs and women not have enough places for children to go when their homes are no longer a safe place to be?"

Children are the silent victims of dysfunctional families. The children who come into foster care may be victims of neglect or abuse; be anywhere from newborn to 18 years of age; and may have special physical, emotional or medical needs. In this valley, there are limited foster homes, all currently filled. It doesn't take much to be a foster parent. Foster parents are individuals and/or families who enjoy children and are willing to provide a safe, loving environment for a child or children who have suffered neglect or abuse. You may qualify to serve as a foster care provider if you:

· Are 21 years of age or older.

· Have adequate space in your home for the placement of a child or children.

· Have a home environment that will pass a health, fire and safety inspection.

· Have sufficient income to meet care requirements.

· Participate in required orientation, pre-service and in-service training.

I know that many of us are probably unaware of the children who leave the valley late at night via the Department of Health and Welfare. I also know that many of us would do something or possibly open our homes to these children in times of crisis, if we just knew how and what to do. I invite you to go on the Internet to www.healthandwelfare.idaho.gov, click on "Families" and then click on "Adoption."

I am hoping that the people of this valley read this and feel the sorrow and frustration I felt when I watched the children leave the valley. All it takes is one house, maybe two, to open their doors in the middle of the night to these kids, allowing them to save some of their familiarity of friends and school in the face of chaos. While it may be too late for the children who left the valley the other night, maybe the next children I play with at the police station will be able to go back to school or at least see their friends the day after being removed from their home.




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