Ten Weeks, Every Monday Night
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
United States
September 25, 2017 6:38am CST
When we signed on to take care of our granddaughter, we thought all we had to do was open our door and our hearts. Little did we know that we would have to take classes to be her caregivers.
We are her kinship/Foster guardians. But, we needed to take a course that was held in 2 parts. One was over the phone, the next in a classroom setting. We completed the first course and now await for the next one to begin.
Then we receive a notice in the mail stating that there is a "new" mandatory course that we need to take. It is held on Monday evenings 5-7:30, for 10 weeks. They provide dinner and childcare.
I am not happy that we need to do this. Their response is it is necessary and we must do it in order to keep Little Miss in our home. So, we have no other choice.
Tonight is the first class. Not looking forward to it.
17 people like this
17 responses
@petatonicsca (7070)
• Japan
25 Sep 17
That is kind of intrusive when you are the relative.
4 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
26 Sep 17
Tonight I met other kinship guardians who have to take this course as well. They feel that it will be helpful to us with raising the children in our care.
@GardenGerty (157551)
• United States
25 Sep 17
I hope something good comes from it. That happens to me when I dread a class or something. I often find it to be more worthwhile than I imagined. On the other hand, I hate to go out at night, and I can see your point about ten weeks of Monday night classes.
2 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
26 Sep 17
The course is somewhat interesting. I can see why it is important to read the information they provide. However, when you are just reading from a book the same thing that we could read on our own, I feel it a waste of time.
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
28 Sep 17
@BarBaraPrz cold pizza and salad, drinks that were warm as they weren't refrigerated and there was no ice.
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (45487)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
26 Sep 17
@ElusiveButterfly Even with the free dinner and childcare?
1 person likes this
@sumofalltears (3988)
• United States
25 Sep 17
would be very offended....I might buy it if it was CPR or first aid training, but anything else is offensive.
3 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
26 Sep 17
I already have CPR and first aid training through my place of work.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (159058)
• Boise, Idaho
25 Sep 17
I remember when I got guardianship of my granddaughter. I had been in the process of getting a foster care license when someone commented that I should try to get guardianship of her. I was able to go to a law shop, get the paper work needed and instructions on when to file what. I did that and in no time I had guardianship and no longer had to worry about the foster care courses.
2 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
26 Sep 17
When we first got our granddaughter she was already in State's custody.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (159058)
• Boise, Idaho
26 Sep 17
@ElusiveButterfly .......So was mine.
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
28 Sep 17
@celticeagle I wonder why they didn't give us that option.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (79731)
• United States
25 Sep 17
Wow I'm surprised that you have to take a course to be the guardian of your granddaughter. 10 weeks seems like a very long time.
2 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
26 Sep 17
In addition to this course, we have one more to take.
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
26 Sep 17
@Marilynda1225 it is getting old. Not even sure what will happen once they decide to let her go back with her mother.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (79731)
• United States
26 Sep 17
@ElusiveButterfly gee that just sounds unnecessary
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (45487)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
25 Sep 17
Overkill! What? Do they think you're irresponsible because you *obviously* didn't raise your own daughter correctly? (Not saying you did, people are responsible for themselves how they behave.)
2 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
26 Sep 17
My husband questioned why we are being held under the microscope when it is my daughter that should be. They just said that every foster parent has to go through the same courses.
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
26 Sep 17
That is why we are going to the classes. We know that if we don't participate that Little Miss could be placed with another foster family.
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
28 Sep 17
@dodo19 we know it is best for us and for her.
1 person likes this
@dodo19 (47066)
• Beaconsfield, Quebec
26 Sep 17
@ElusiveButterfly better do it. I'm sure you don't want to lose your little miss.
1 person likes this
@1hopefulman (45123)
• Canada
25 Sep 17
View it as an adventure. I hope they serve good food. 
2 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
26 Sep 17
It was a boring slideshow where they read from the book.
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
26 Sep 17
It was difficult to be in a room where there was no AC! It was so hot in there that I nearly fell asleep.
There is a lot of interaction in the beginning, but it seems that has not been so lately. We do get home visits to see how things are going.
1 person likes this
@CinnamonGrl (7083)
• Santa Fe, New Mexico
25 Sep 17
I'm surprised to hear that, considering you are blood relatives. I don't get it at all. Why should you need training? I can see maybe an evaluation but ten weeks of classes when you already have raised children? Ugh. I feel for you, my friend.
2 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
26 Sep 17
They feel we need to understand about trauma for a child who has been placed. Yes, she has had some trauma. But, none like a few of the participants had described.
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
26 Sep 17
The first class was a bit boring. The room was hot because they took the AC's out early. I nearly fell asleep.
1 person likes this
@bluesa (15023)
• Johannesburg, South Africa
26 Sep 17
@ElusiveButterfly that sounds awful and tedious, I hope these classes will speed by.
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
28 Sep 17
@bluesa they will end sometime in November. UGH!
1 person likes this
@Morethanamom (1948)
• Canada
25 Sep 17
While it can be seem overboard, they may be implementing it so that people who are thinking about fostering for the paycheck (and I am assuming there is some financial compensation for fostering where you are, or at the very least tax incentives), because of the work involved. Good luck!
2 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
26 Sep 17
The stipend we receive is spent entirely on our granddaughter's needs. But, I understand your point.
1 person likes this
@Morethanamom (1948)
• Canada
26 Sep 17
@ElusiveButterfly and that is the way it should always be. But I don't need to tell you that.
1 person likes this
@Kind4321 (826)
• Nairobi, Kenya
25 Sep 17
Hey Elusive glad to hear about the sacrifices you are making in order to ensure your grand daughter has a good upbringing.
I am sure it is not easy now that you have to sacrifice the more but i am sure in the end it will be worth it.All the best and i wish you lots of strength as you embark on the journey
2 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
26 Sep 17
Thank you. It is a sacrifice in a way as we are putting our life on hold for the sake of our granddaughter. We try to do things that will be kid friendly now.
1 person likes this
@Kind4321 (826)
• Nairobi, Kenya
26 Sep 17
@ElusiveButterfly It will surely be worth it at the end of it all
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
30 Sep 17
It was boring. I hope that it gets better as the time goes on. At least it isn't so hot now. The first night was terrible. No AC in the place.
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
30 Sep 17
@DianneN it was brutally hot in there and humid as well. The children were taken upstairs to what I assume was a play area. Little Miss was clammy from sweat when she came down to join us.
They took the AC out of the windows way too early. I feel they should have found an alternative place to hold this class so we didn't need to suffer.
@DianneN (246838)
• United States
30 Sep 17
@ElusiveButterfly That would be totally unacceptable to me! I need my a/c!
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (116860)
• Anniston, Alabama
26 Sep 17
That sucks! But I know she is worth all the trouble.
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
26 Sep 17
I feel as if we are constantly having to prove ourselves worthy of caring for our granddaughter.
