Laughing with children

Yesterday, I was able to be reminded of why I work in child welfare. I never planned on working in child welfare. I earned a double major in social work and gerontology. Gerontology is the social study of aging. How I ended up in child welfare is a question on money. I was working at a nursing home making nothing with no benefits. I get offered a fairly well paying job with excellent benefits. It was hard to do, but it was a no-brainer, I had to make the change.

So I came for the money. I stayed for something else. I stayed because I still feel I can make a difference. I stayed to be an advocate for children. I stayed to be the only one looking out for children. I stayed to influence their lives and help them find their path. I stayed to help parents learn to parent. I stayed because I believe that people can change. I stayed because it is pure joy when parents learn to better parent. I stayed because I enjoy being a change agent in people’s lives.

Yesterday, I was able to spend 2 hours one on one with a foster child. She is 16, and has a powerful future ahead of her. Her bio-parents were crap, they lost her at birth. Strike one. Her adoptive parents were emotionally abusive, and never let her forget she was not their blood. Strike two. She ended up very young in the juvenile court system, with criminal charges. Foul Ball, not a strike.

Once she got into the system, she no longer had to live with her abusive adoptive parents. She bounced around in foster homes a lot. Her past 3 years have been very challenging. She has really struggled and had a very hard time of life. Then something wonderful happened. She got a therapist who cared. She has an intensive tracker willing to do almost anything to help her. She got a caseworker that is involved with the case and cares about children. She got a foster home willing to take her as she is, and love her. They have incorporated her into their family. They call her “my daughter” not my foster daughter, or my adopted daughter. She now has a little sister. She has a family.

She has turned around. She was sexually promiscuous, she is now stating she is celibate. (not so sure on this one). She went from sluffing to the honor roll. She wants to go to college. She wants to open her own business. She wants to have a strong future. She is taking business classes and preparing to take the ACT. Just a little over a year ago, she was failing school and smoking pot.

Her adoptive father died, so she has financial resources other foster children do not. She is getting a fair amount of social security, so has funds to do things with. Yesterday, she and I cashed a check for $1100, and bought a laptop. We laughed over seeing that much money at once. I have never seen 11 Benjamins in one place before. I’ve had that much money, but never held that much. We joked about what fun we could have. We smelled the money and flipped it around. It was very fun, and we laughed. It was a lovely sunny day, and we were laughing together.

We went and purchased the laptop she had ordered. We then went and purchased a briefcase for her to carry her laptop in. She purchased a very sensible and practical bag, one with wheels and a pull handle. She talked about how she is going to use this laptop to learn design and business skills. She talked about how she is going to use this to earn her degree. She talked about her plans for her future. Her future appears so bright, we all need shades.

I was able to spend some time with a girl who has had too few adults care about her in her lifetime. Somehow she is still optimistic about her future. I don’t know if I had her life how I would react.

I was able to remember why I work here. I work here because too many children have not had anyone give a damn about them. I give a damn. I am proud that I help children, and I am helping guide the future. I work here to be a part of children’s lives and better them. I work here because I feel I can do something about the problem. I work here, because I get to spend time with children and laugh.