Life is so weird right now. We’re all in a strange movie. It’s lonely and boring, but we’re making it work… because we’re aware of how much worse it could, and might, get.
So, how is foster care different under social distancing and self-quarantine and generally living in a COVID-19 world?
Courts are closed. Along with basically everything else, family courts are mostly closed. Emergencies are still being tended to, but a lot of things are getting ‘reviewed’ or ‘continued’ — basically a bunch of paperwork gets shuffled around but nothing changes. The heavy back log that most courts already deal with is only going to get worse. Adoptions that families have been counting down to for months, even years, have been postponed.
Visitation is suspended. For families separated during this time, I can only imagine how much scarier this situation is. Many caseworkers are trying to do digital visits for bio parents to ‘see’ their kids, but we all know it isn’t the same. Siblings who are in different homes aren’t able to connect the same way, despite video chats.
Home visits are digital. Caseworkers are calling foster parents on Skype, Zoom, Google Hangouts, and even Facebook messenger to check in. They watch us play, and I pan the camera around her bedroom so they can do their safety check through the screen.
We are getting a lot of mail. And email. Like, a lot. This policy has been changed; that new policy has been updated; the state has modified its recent recommendation; the CDC has asked that we remind you; the news reports you’re hearing may recommend; we’re now suggesting that…
(Hopefully) we are meeting our goal of keeping kids safe. While I won’t pretend that foster care is an ideal situation for everyone, everyone seems to agree that the best thing for each individual and for society as a whole is to isolate for the time being. Talk to your kids about the realities we face, teach them good habits of health, and pray together for the countless people suffering under this awful plague.
So, stay with your own crew, wash your hands, and look for ways you can love each other and flourish in this strange and unprecedented moment in history.
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