An adoption list I'm on has been talking about foster families, and I was reminded of this photo of foster moms at Mother's Love Orphanage. We had adopted Maya 3 days before, and had returned to the orphanage to meet her foster family and tour the orphanage. All the foster moms were kept in one office with a small window in the door. Adoptive families and foster families were brought together one at a time in another office. I took this picture as we were leaving Mother's Love after our meeting with Maya's foster mom and foster sister -- other foster moms were standing on tip-toe straining for one last glimpse of their babies. through the small window. I can never quite get that sight out of my mind.
You can read about that first visit with Maya's foster family here.
What saddens me is that you experienced some families who did not want to see the foster families. Is it their discomfort for all of an hour or so that was of concern? How were those families and the little ones supposed to say goodbye, only at the most terrifying time when they were handed off to strangers? I don't get it. I never will.
ReplyDeleteWe met M's foster family at AML alone; we were the only family there for a waiting child and the only from our agency. We were allowed to talk with them for an hour (a little over) and then they were shooed out the door by the director (I think we could have visited for hours).
It saddens me to see the foster mother's through the window; it seems indicative of the way the system treats them and sadly many ap's.