CPS Intends to Change the Permanency Goal to "Adoption - Non-Family Member" / Inventory and Foster Care Accountability / Dallas Zoo / Easter Egg Festivals / Best Friend Visits / School Field Trip to the Library
2nd Saturday - Drive-in movie night in Ennis. Always a fun night!
8th Friday - Oliver and his sister Zoie come over for some fun while their mother performs at the "House of Blues" - a big night for her!
9th Saturday - We went to the Dallas Zoo for a epilepsy-awareness charity walk. We were on team, "Walk for Jake." Jake is the son of one of Jack's co-workers. This is the first time at the Dallas Zoo for us. It was not as exciting or grand as the Fort Worth Zoo (where we are members), but it was exciting none-the-less. One of the unique things at the Dallas Zoo is that you can feed the giraffes! A was a bit timid at first (sticking out a big lettuce leaf and having the giraffe eat it right out of his hand), but X got right in there. We got one good picture of that, but plenty of great shots of everything else!
12th Tuesday - X and Jack went to the Planetarium. We had high expectations since there was supposed to be a big exhibit. Checking out the "stars" inside the planetarium was pretty neat., but the Russian space program exhibit turned out to be dud (simple PowerPoint slide show and a small bit of memorabilia).
15th Friday - As discussed in the February blog (the 7-month court date), CPS can change the permanency goal. We got a call from CPS officially checking with us and asking us if we would be interested in ADOPTING X and A. Officially, before this call, we were just listed as "foster" parents. This would move us into the "foster to adopt" category with CPS. Of course, having fallen in love with X and A, we calmly said "Yes" (while jumping up and down inside)! We have had them for almost 9 months, but it feels like we have loved them a lifetime. What does this mean legally? CPS recommend at the next court hearing (May 3rd) that the goal be changed to "Adoption / Non-Family Member." The judge would ask if that is the current foster parents and CPS would say, "yes."
17th Sunday - We all went to the Richardson Womens' Club Easter Egg Hunt. This turned out to be anything BUT a dud! Not only was there a nice, smallish, well-run Easter egg hunt, but they also had face painting, games, a petting zoo and, the best part, a donkey ride. Both kids LOVED the donkey ride.
22nd Friday - while not discussed prior, this seems like a logical place: we have to do quarterly inventory of all of A and X's possessions. I totally get this. If we were BAD foster parents, all the gifts given the kids (by family, CPS and other agencies and non-profit organizations) would be taken and sold. CPS (through our agency, Covenant Kids) requires this very detailed inventory of all their clothes, toys and monies. Also, we, as foster parents, do receive a small set amount for "monthly expense reimbursement" by the State of Texas for taking care of the children as foster parents. While we always spend more than the reimbursement, it does help some. The expectation is that the money we receive benefits the children. CPS, therefore, set minimums of what each child should have to wear (e.g. 8 underwear, 8 pairs of socks, 1 pair tennis shoes, 1 pair dress shoes, 4 pair of jeans, 8 t-shirts). We are responsible for making sure that X and A are in their current sizes. It is the reimbursement money that goes toward those clothes (which they have WAY more than the minimums) plus the added costs of transportation and food (which is the bulk of the monthly expenses) and reasonable entertainment (which, hopefully you have read here, we always blow out of the water!)
23rd Saturday - We invited X's best friend (and his sister Zoie) to come with us to a huge Easter Festival at a local church. The bounce houses and air-filled "bounce" slide was a huge hit. The Easter egg hunt was organized, but there was also just too many kids running at the actual hunt.
26th Tuesday - Melinda joined X at yet another school field trip. This time it was to the city library where he learned about how to check out books and what a library does (with books, but also lots of other media).
While not usually mentioned in these blogs, we attend church regularly and went every Sunday this month - always a big hit with the kids.
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