Bitter sweet...

“Our” sweet baby left tonight.  The transporter picked him up around 7:30pm to take him to his grandmother.  We are going to miss him.  We enjoyed having a baby to love on for a little while.  The kids adjusted wonderfully both to him coming and leaving.  They welcomed him into our family with open arms, but they understood that he needed to be with his family. 

He was a happy boy, who seemed very well cared for and loved.  He was on a schedule and slept through the night (besides feedings).  He was clean and had a diaper bag with necessities. 

I believe he should have been with his family from day one.  My understanding of his story is that his mother is deaf and went to see her mental health care provider.  During her appointment the doctor made the decision to backer act her because she was a threat to herself (not her baby).  Then baby K was taken and placed into foster care.  He had relatives that showed up right away wanting to care for him.  The child protective investigator told me the first day he arrived that she saw no reason why his grandma would not get custody, her employment already required a background screening and they just had to complete a home study.  It ended up taking a court order and 11 days before he was reunited with his family.   

I feel compassion for his mother and grandmother.  I try putting myself in their shoes…. what if it was my child and he spent 11 days in a foster home (which sadly some are pretty scary) because I had a problem and the system drug their feet on completing a simple home study on my mother.

I picked up a rubber maid bin and filled it up with all the “stuff” I had gathered for him.  In addition to the bin I had two diaper bags full.  I composed a letter to his family telling them about his time in our home, and gave them my cell number.  I gave it to Monty to proof and he replied “this is how foster care should work”.  That’s all I need to hear and reminded myself that I hopefully made a tiny difference in that family’s life.  I feel the system could have handled this case better, but I am still thankful he came to our home where we have resources and lots of love to share.  I know he was here for a reason, though I don’t fully understand it right now.