Case Aide and Others

Other people who may be involved in your case include:

1. Therapists, possibly including mental health therapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, etc. all depending on your child's needs when they enter your home and the needs that you may see the child lacks as a result of the abuse and neglect that may have occurred in the biological parents' home.

2. Other care providers, including other foster parents who may provide respite, school teachers, or daycare workers. The communication required with these people is integral to ensuring good care of the child and a solid understanding of the child's needs. This is a constant and will be ongoing throughout your child's schooling.

3. The state review board must review each case twice per year to ensure that the local social services agency is doing their job properly.

4. The biological parents and/or relatives. Some cases workers will not allow much interaction between you and the biological family, depending on the situation, but sometimes you will see the biological family before and after visits. After the adoption, you will have ultimate control of whether you allow the biological family to continue to have contact with your child.

5. Neighbors, coaches, parents of your child's teammates, etc. In many cases all these people will need to know some of the needs or history of your child. In my situation, my first and youngest child, whose social worker described as feral upon first being removed from his biological home, didn't have the ability to control his behaviors and was often labeled a "bully" by his peers, coaches, and parents of teammates. A little education in these cases went a long way.