This: “What you have been given is thoughtless. It checks someone else’s box. It is not about you at all. Shouldn’t our food be all about us?” We are living—have been living for a long time—in an epidemic of thoughtlessness. You bring it into such sharp focus that reading your piece feels like a gut punch. As it should.
Where the hell is that caseworker?!?! I don't care if it's the holiday. The fact that she/he/they did not make sure that family was taken care of needs to be reported to the worker's supervisor and/or the county office administrator. I know it doesn't do anything about the issues of "now" but they should never have done that and should be reprimanded. You are not allowed to abandon a case, period. Okay, off my soap box. If there's anything I can do from here -- just say the word!
I always want to hear your "soapbox' comments because I am still trying to understand what is and isnt my job and what is and isnt my colleagues jobs. I assume that the CW is handling kids in emergency situations ( or I choose to believe this) but I don't know. Maybe she thinks "the CASA has it" I don't know. LOL. Thank you for this and please continue to advice me! It helps! xo
You can report anyone at any time to their supervisor or the county administrator if you think something inappropriate happened and sending a large number of children into a home and not making sure there was EBT available and usable (they probably used it up the first day it was received so there is nothing left in the account) or they should have accessed emergency county funds for groceries, if the kids are Native -- they should have called the tribe for $$ for food or -- they should have called from the list of resources that they always have at their discretion -- If the case worker was on vacay, fine, the supervisor could do it or the worker of the day (maybe a different title there but same idea) should be able to do this. Sending children into a home without the proper amount of food amounts to neglect. Which they are supposed to protect the children from in the first place. A kinship placement is always best but don't set them up to fail and it looks like the department did. Please make a list, just like you did in the essay,but name names. Then call the office and ask for : Wrap around services and create a safety net for the placement (which means making sure they have the essentials) because it's a non-paid kinship placement, the state has a responsibility to ensure that it is successful. Appropriate remedies are: Emergency Food Stamps SNAP, clothing voucher, they should look into "TANF diversion funds" to get a car or provide transportation vouchers or bus passes for all the children. Possibly also, finding housing for all these family members.
She probably qualifies for subsidized housing. Another option (long term) help her to go through the steps to become a paid kinship placement for these children. These are things the state should be providing and when the judge asks you -- You should be prepared to talk on all these points, as well as literally how well the children are doing in this placement. Start making yourself a folder with all this stuff. You will need this nearly every time. My daughter was a Child Welfare Worker before she became a bureaucrat and I'm retired! If you need more info or have questions: email me at davidson(dot)kelli@gmail(dot)com.
This is incredibly helpful! Thank you, Kelli! I have been at this a week so I’m not in a position to start calling supervisors but I am noting everything you said here. I will document everything. This really is unacceptable. Thank you for all these things!
It's insane what DHS (CPS) expects of kin providers. And, on top of food, which is the biggest need, they need to hurry up and get clothes and backpacks and transport all 4 kids to possibly 4 different schools or daycares.
KIM! This is both heart breaking and beautiful. Beautiful because you have the strength to stand up for The Hero + her brood; stitch together your anger + frustration into prose; and put this unforgiveable-ness on the front burner. Please tell us how we can help you help them. --kod
Like a clear sharp breath or real air, after being in stagnant air conditioning for too long, your writing always wakes me up. You are so right! And the idea of being "helpful" by giving you something you don't want and can't use, and then calling you "ungrateful" for your response. Grrr... Keep fighting the good fight!
Sigh. The work of accompanying people who are poor is always a slog because the systems we create and allow are so inane. Thanks for what you’re doing and the insights you’re sharing. All good wishes to The Hero and the kids. I can’t wait to read more.
Congrats to This Hero and all Those Heroes. In case you didn’t already know, The Bootstrap Cook has loads of cheap, healthy, and delicious recipes (they’re British so may have to look up conversions). Jack started their career writing about how to make the food given to them by social services.)
Also do you know about modestneeds.org ? They help folks out with short-term needs like these.
This: “What you have been given is thoughtless. It checks someone else’s box. It is not about you at all. Shouldn’t our food be all about us?” We are living—have been living for a long time—in an epidemic of thoughtlessness. You bring it into such sharp focus that reading your piece feels like a gut punch. As it should.
oooh you are so right. Thank you for saying that about thoughtlessness.
Where the hell is that caseworker?!?! I don't care if it's the holiday. The fact that she/he/they did not make sure that family was taken care of needs to be reported to the worker's supervisor and/or the county office administrator. I know it doesn't do anything about the issues of "now" but they should never have done that and should be reprimanded. You are not allowed to abandon a case, period. Okay, off my soap box. If there's anything I can do from here -- just say the word!
I always want to hear your "soapbox' comments because I am still trying to understand what is and isnt my job and what is and isnt my colleagues jobs. I assume that the CW is handling kids in emergency situations ( or I choose to believe this) but I don't know. Maybe she thinks "the CASA has it" I don't know. LOL. Thank you for this and please continue to advice me! It helps! xo
You can report anyone at any time to their supervisor or the county administrator if you think something inappropriate happened and sending a large number of children into a home and not making sure there was EBT available and usable (they probably used it up the first day it was received so there is nothing left in the account) or they should have accessed emergency county funds for groceries, if the kids are Native -- they should have called the tribe for $$ for food or -- they should have called from the list of resources that they always have at their discretion -- If the case worker was on vacay, fine, the supervisor could do it or the worker of the day (maybe a different title there but same idea) should be able to do this. Sending children into a home without the proper amount of food amounts to neglect. Which they are supposed to protect the children from in the first place. A kinship placement is always best but don't set them up to fail and it looks like the department did. Please make a list, just like you did in the essay,but name names. Then call the office and ask for : Wrap around services and create a safety net for the placement (which means making sure they have the essentials) because it's a non-paid kinship placement, the state has a responsibility to ensure that it is successful. Appropriate remedies are: Emergency Food Stamps SNAP, clothing voucher, they should look into "TANF diversion funds" to get a car or provide transportation vouchers or bus passes for all the children. Possibly also, finding housing for all these family members.
She probably qualifies for subsidized housing. Another option (long term) help her to go through the steps to become a paid kinship placement for these children. These are things the state should be providing and when the judge asks you -- You should be prepared to talk on all these points, as well as literally how well the children are doing in this placement. Start making yourself a folder with all this stuff. You will need this nearly every time. My daughter was a Child Welfare Worker before she became a bureaucrat and I'm retired! If you need more info or have questions: email me at davidson(dot)kelli@gmail(dot)com.
This is incredibly helpful! Thank you, Kelli! I have been at this a week so I’m not in a position to start calling supervisors but I am noting everything you said here. I will document everything. This really is unacceptable. Thank you for all these things!
It's insane what DHS (CPS) expects of kin providers. And, on top of food, which is the biggest need, they need to hurry up and get clothes and backpacks and transport all 4 kids to possibly 4 different schools or daycares.
Ugh. yes. And when you consider how much training, support, money and resources are given to foster parents it makes me ill.
KIM! This is both heart breaking and beautiful. Beautiful because you have the strength to stand up for The Hero + her brood; stitch together your anger + frustration into prose; and put this unforgiveable-ness on the front burner. Please tell us how we can help you help them. --kod
Thanks Kim!
Ditto EVERYTHING she said 👆🏼!!!
It was a rage fest. LOL
Like a clear sharp breath or real air, after being in stagnant air conditioning for too long, your writing always wakes me up. You are so right! And the idea of being "helpful" by giving you something you don't want and can't use, and then calling you "ungrateful" for your response. Grrr... Keep fighting the good fight!
Sigh. The work of accompanying people who are poor is always a slog because the systems we create and allow are so inane. Thanks for what you’re doing and the insights you’re sharing. All good wishes to The Hero and the kids. I can’t wait to read more.
Congrats to This Hero and all Those Heroes. In case you didn’t already know, The Bootstrap Cook has loads of cheap, healthy, and delicious recipes (they’re British so may have to look up conversions). Jack started their career writing about how to make the food given to them by social services.)
Also do you know about modestneeds.org ? They help folks out with short-term needs like these.