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I never got cash. Matter of fact.. my mother died and the state of FL was taking my wocial security check every month... until I found out at 14 and had my case worker setup a trust and have it go in there until I was 18. The state wouldn't let me have more than 10k of my own money. It took two years after 18 to get it

I had 5 different Foster kids grow up with me at different parts. All were different ages and had different needs. Having safe or different people for someone to stay with for a while makes a big difference. My first Foster sister was 14 and basically looked after herself to a large degree aside from needing to be kept an eye on. 2 had learning and developmental disabilities, and while it made life a bit exciting and unexpected honestly most of the time it was just a novelty. They had quirks that their full time carers just needed a break from every 2 months or so. Probably shouldn't say this but that value you can give to someone does actually come back to you not inconsiderably money wise too, my mother was always honest about that when people said she was "a Saint I could never do it" etc. The older kids are actually where people need to step up more.

>ChipDrop

Genius! I just signed up. Thank you!

Yes! I actually just texted her today for the first time in years right after seeing this post. I am hopefully going to see her AND the judge that suggested her to my caseworker / saved my life one day soon :)

Does this apply to the UK or is it USA exclusive?

This is exactly what I'd like to offer - was cash through the system being described here, or something else?

You can go about it in two ways; you can be put on a list of available respite providers, or you can be a respite provider for an individual(s) or a family.

The 1st way you are available to who needs you, but you can still specify what age groups you can handle. No everyone can handle babies or teenagers and vice versa. My wife and I foster drug addicted and exposed kids from 0-5.

The second is often done by family friends or even other family members that want to help someone they know specifically. Obviously rules are different everywhere, making doing the right thing that much harder.

Are you still in contact?

I stopped donating my time when parents started acting out years ago.

Good if it works for others, but when it can affect my career, thats a nope right the heck outta there.

SLPT: If you need mulch, >! one of your neighbors probably won't be missed !<

My wife is a CASA. You don't need to have special qualifications going in. You apply and they will interview you. If you are accepted, there is a bunch of training. They also do ongoing yearly training, but it's not too onerous.

Once you are trained and assigned a case, you'll typically be working under a more experienced CASA who you can go to for help and advice. It's not usually a huge time sink. Visits with your kids every couple of weeks, court hearings, monthly written reports. Emails and phone calls with social workers and the family and the kids' attorney. You can work around appointments. For a long trip you might need your supervisor to help out, which is part of what they are there for.

Some cases can suck up quite a bit of time, but not usually for a protracted duration. It tends to come and go. Ideally, you only work a case for a few months to a year. Rare ones can drag out longer, but with long periods of low activity.

You don't really have to navigate the judicial system; there's an attorney "ad litem" who does that. But you will get training on the applicable laws so you know what you can and can't do.

You will want to set some boundaries, as there are people in the system who will take advantage of you if allowed. Some of the family members can be obnoxious, and some of the social workers are practically useless. Some parents will get pissy with you, and even some social workers. It can be frustrating at times.

If your experience is like my wife's, the kids will love you. And you will have the chance to make an important impact on their lives. Your role is all about what is best for them, not the parents or the court or anyone else. You are the only person who is just looking out for them and is only working with one family at a time (unless a case has gone mostly dormant so you can take on a new one).

Everyone else in the system has too many concurrent cases to give any single one the proper attention. You have virtually no actual power, but for the kids you might be the most important person in the process. You are the one who needs to raise a little hell when a child's needs are not being met. The kids usually seem to understand that you are there just looking out for them.

If you have the disposition for it, it seems to be very fulfilling and important work. I'm very proud of my wife for doing it.

At least, that's how it works in Colorado. Other states might do things a bit differently.

What was the time commitment like when you worked with casa? I’m interested, and have experience working with kids, but I work full time.

Facts. Source. I was a foster kid. 9-18. Just having a what I would call a mentor. Someone who hangs with me for a few hours a week or some shit helped me become who I am today.

That is so sweet. Thanks for sharing the personal impact one made on you!

Unfortunately it's a mixed bag. She'll have a case worker tell her she can do one thing but then the handbooks they give her explicitly forbid it fairly often. They're oftentimes not very knowledgeable about their own rules.

IIRC she can have the children stay at a babysitters house (that hasn't been viewed by CPS or reviewed for suitability) without breaking rules but cannot have a babysitter at her house to watch the kids.

The rules aren't very consistent and I think the majority of people just opt for not following them to the letter, but that's not generally how my mom operates so.

Big hugs to you both. We turned down any placements that did not have parental rights already terminated and STILL ended up being at risk of losing our child (who we intended to adopt from Day One) a year into fostering. It was incredibly stressful.

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Thats good. I'll reach out and see if they'd have any use for me for cases that don't involve SA.

I did this in college for parents who had disabled kids. Super rewarding and eye-opening if you haven't had much experience with disabled children.

I just finished my CASA training! They teach you what you need to know and you'll have a supervisor and lots of help getting started. And the lady who trained us specifically said NOT to put your life on hold, and I had to sign a paper saying I would not be allowed more than one case unless I was able to prove I could handle it. The beginning of a case is a little hectic - there's several court dates you're asked to be at - but after that your only commitment is to visit with the child at least once a month and file a report on their needs.

I believe my MIL was a GAL but not through a local CASA. Probably just a regional difference. Her client was a baby who was eventually adopted by their foster parents.

That’s interesting about the babysitter option, I wonder if that is for certain cases only because my care coordinator said that I could hire a baby sitter or have my parents watch a child in my care so long as I felt comfortable with the individual.

Big Brothers Big Sisters is another great way to get involved and be an added support to a child’s life.

BBBS is a one to one mentorship program that matches kids to adult volunteers in the community with the goal of defending the potential that child already holds.

To learn more about the different programs and find the agency closest to you, go to www.bbbs.org

A little bit late to the post, but I have worked in the CPS field for 3 years now. I know plenty about the foster care system, adoption, CASA, other agencies and more. Would love to help with any questions or information regarding all this!

As many comments have said, CASA and respite are great ways to assist kids of the system. Also check out other ways to assist. Get with a local foster/adoption agency and just ask them about options. Any and all help would benefit many kids. Maybe check with local emergency shelters, group homes, or residential treatment centers as these are placements for many children of the system who aren’t in a foster home. They might need assistance, donations, or volunteers for different things.

There are also so many ways which indirectly help the cause. Counseling services, parenting classes, visitation services, etc. These are all being used by families and/or children of the system to help the kids/parents through the cases. Check with your local CPS agency. You can likely volunteer for certain events or other tasks which could indirectly help the agency and system in serving children.