Classes 4&5

So 2 Thursdays ago we completed class 4 and marked the middle of our classes. We talked about discipline and they had some very good ideas and techniques. When it comes to disciplining children in foster care it is often seen as more of a teaching moment. These children have lived in situations that many of us could not even imagine, as a result they often act out as a way of coping with their feelings in this situation. It is imperative that Mike and I pay attention to what these behaviors are and how we are going to address them in order to show the children the correct way to express and deal with these feelings. I think this will be harder than it sounds. 

Last night's class was my favorite so far. The first half of the class was a panel of parents and a lawyer. We heard their stories and were able to ask them questions. The lawyer was a wealth of information about the legal system. Not only has she worked with our agency for 15 years but has also served as a guardian ad litem. This means she is for the child only and his/her best interest. She sees both sides (birth parents and foster parents) and is like the eyes and ears for the judge. After the panel we went on to discuss cultural awareness because many of these children come from an extremely different culture than us. We talked about different cultures and ways we can help a child learn about and embrace their culture while in our house. 

We have two more classes left: administering medication and first aid/CPR, not to mention over 50 pages of forms. 

  

Class #3

Last week was so busy I wasn't able to write a post so I will get you caught up. 

Last weeks class focused on the rolls of the birth parent, legal parent, and resource parent. These are all intertwined and need to rely on each other to make sure the child gets what they need. As resource parents we are going to be a mentor to the child as well as the birth parent. Many times these birth parents are just repeating the cycle in which they were raised. Mike and I have a great opportunity to not only help them in being a parent but to also teach God's love and what He can do for them. 

Last night we talked about the possible abuse and neglect that these children may have experienced as well as attachment issues. These children have experienced thing we cannot even imagine and have learned to cope with it in a way that many of us don't understand. It will be a very long road to help these children learn about appropriate ways to handle their feelings and learn that not all people are going to abandon you. 

These classes make me extremely thankful that I grew up in a loving Christian home where we never had a fear of experiencing such traumatizing events. 

Mike and I hope we are able to provide the same type of home where they don't have to fear abandonment and know they will always have a place that will love then no matter what happens. 

Homework #1

Last night we completed our 1st homework assignment. We watched our first video that talked about characteristics of successful resource parents. It was really good to hear from other TN resource parents about situations that we may encounter and how they handled them. 

Thursday is our second class and we hope to still see all of the other participants that were there last week. 

In Him,

Mike and Mandi

1st PATH Class

Last night we had our first PATH (Parents As Tender Healers) class. There was a total of 5 house holds represented, all different ages. It was a very eye opening experience.

We are going though a non-profit agnecy called AGAPE. It is Christian based and acknowledge that God brought us there for a reason and we will need to fully rely on Him during this entire journey. They talked a lot about this be a mission field in our own home and that we are doing an amazing service to God's children. Through fostering, not only are we able to minister to these children but also to minister to their parents, who often need to know God's love and have never been shown this unconditional love.  

We have A LOT of paper work, over 10 different applications, forms, releases, and acknowledgements. We feel like we're back in school. 

We appreciate all the prayers, kind words of encouragement, and thoughts you all have shared with us. We hope you enjoy reading about our journey!

In Him,

Mike & Mandi