Then There Was One
Today, my FS9 that I've had for since 1/12/21 (so 13days) left to go back home for what we will hope will be permanently. I've known from the get go, that Mr. T would be a short term placement, and yet it feels like he's here and gone so quickly. His mom did what she needed to do; his first court hearing was two days after he was taken, his mom did exactly what she needed to within the first five days after that, then he had two extended overnight stays (one for three days, one for two), and this morning I got an e-mail asking my opinion on it. I told his caseworker based off of what I knew, I didn't even fully understand why he was in foster care, and his CW agreed, and we decided as a team that he didn't have to wait until next weekend to go home and instead that he could go tonight. So at 8:25pm, I dropped him off at Del Taco to his mom, 20 minutes later I got a phone call saying he left his phone charger, so tomorrow I'll take it to his mom at work.
And then there was ONE
This leaves it now just me and Mr. R (FS12) alone. Today had been a long day anyways and we met his new social worker tonight. The guy seems nice and straight forward, and I feel as if we are going to be able to get Mr. R the help he needs. There is something about watching a 12y/o boys crying at the idea of having to see his abuser in a supervised or unsupervised visit that just tears at your heart. So the three of us, Mr. R, myself and his social worker sat down and decided on a step by step plan, letting Mr. R know that we are not going to force him to do anything he's not ready to do, and that we will take things day by day. So tomorrow I get to drop Mr. R off at school, then call and set him a dentist appt and an appointment for vision and shots to be done as well; and wait to hear if the therapist I recommended gets approved. Then to work I go, pick him up, bring him home, make dinner watch a movie, etc...and then the routine goes on an on for the days to come.
Mr. R is settling in, the longer he is here the more I can see just how broken he really is, and how much trauma he has been through. He tries to put up a brave front but you can slowly see him starting to break down the walls. This weekend alone he talked a little about having to learn to fight back and knowing that one of his defense mechanisms is to fight back...another, which I don't think he realizes is that he is a smart ass, but right now he's might smart ass and I'll take it. The road has only just begun with Mr. R, but I look forward to where it takes us.
***Photos have been modified so as not to Identify the children.***
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