Training Day

I am fairly sure that no foster parent has ever said that Foster Parent Training is their favorite part of fostering.  Most of the time it's on an inconvenient evening when you're already sleepy and covers depressing, upsetting, complicated or boring topics.

Today's training was from 11 to 1, so I had to take off work, and the topic was how to fill out the new Medicaid logs.  It sounded horrible -- but it was required, and actually turned out to be kind of great.

First thing's first, Jason was able to come at the same time, despite the schedule, so it was almost a date.  In fact, we preceded the training with a late breakfast at Early Bird and followed it up with a child and list free wander through Costco, where yes, we bought things we didn't need, but no one begged for anything or cried and we didn't forget anything (only because we didn't go for anything specific).

Surprisingly, though, the training was good, too.  Since the Medicaid processes just changed, it was packed full of other foster parents -- other people experiencing what we are (and much worse), other people who are frustrated and exhausted, other people who also needed to be reminded why they started doing this in the first place.

And amazingly, Medicaid Log training reminded us all.  "Standard" foster children don't require extensive documentation, but Bair specializes in Therapeutic Foster Care, so we are required to document the behaviors and interventions that occur each day as part of their treatment in our homes.  It's not a fun process, but it gets to the point.

These children need more from us.  They behave worse, understand less, control less and hurt more than most other children we've ever met.  That is why we're doing this.

Plus, to be in a government mandated training class that opens in prayer, echoes with laughter and brings fellowship and support, where the State Director knows everyone's name and genuinely cares about the children in each home, was not what we expected. Plus to experience all this while literally leaning on my partner in crime in the process was perfect.

The boys were even well-behaved in aftercare (as we leisurely wandered Costco!  Hah!). Of course, they're now each spending 10 minutes in their rooms for fighting on the way home from school -- but that's just enough time for me to type an update while Jason pours me a glass of wine.  Cheers!

"For where two or three are gathered in my name,

there am I among them."

(Matthew 18:20)

So...when Jason when to set the captives free, Charlie had been bathing in sanitizer and Cedric had exploded an ink pen all over himself!  It's amazing how much easier that all is to take with Jason home...