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Show Foster Parents encounter many fulfilling experiences and joys (Note: This is the 2nd in a three part series regarding the need for foster families in Iron County.) Being a foster parent is "a rewarding and fulfilling experience ex-perience in spite of the normal good days and bad days which face any parent", according to Don Anderson. Mr. Anderson, Social Worker in charge of Iron County's Foster Care program, stated that his role is to support foster parents and assist the youth with their problems. One of the many questions prospective foster parents are concerned with is "How long will a child stay in my home?" There is not a specific answer to this question, but Mr. Anderson indicated in-dicated that the court expects the family to be rehabilitated as fast as possible so that the child can return to his own home. Some children remain in a foster home only a month or two while others might require foster care until they reach adulthood. What kinds of problems will we encounter with a foster child? The following case exanmle m parents, the community, etc. are less panicked by this than drugs, the alcohol is cheaper and it is available in many homes. Both of Holly's parents became badly deteriorated alcoholics after the maternal grandmother died when Holly was four and Holly's father did not get the promotion he expected. During the first four years of Holly's life, the grandmother lived with the family, and when she died the family began to fall Holly had her first sex experience ex-perience with her father when she was seven years old, and she has told her counselor she remembers draining .the beer nd liquor bottles when she was hungry and there was nothing in the house to eat. The family managed to keep much of the fact of their sickness from the community and Holly became quick to "Story" teachers and others who asked her questions. Around the age of 12 Holly decided to join her parents in their drinking and laid the groundwork by telling the school that the family was moving. From then on she did not even in Child Development and Family Relations. A mission for the LDS Church in England, his training in C.D.F.R., and some limitations of his sight were some of the reasons he chose to go into Social Work. He obtained his Master of Social Work degree from the University of Utah and has been working with foster care in Iron County for the past year and a half. Some of his other responsibilities respon-sibilities include: Day Care Licensing, working with unwed mothers, individual and family counseling, some marriage counseling, and some administrative ad-ministrative and supervisory responsibility. "I enjoy working with Foster Care and love working with children" were his closing remarks which summed up quite well the feeling and attitude expressed throughout the interview. in-terview. Next week we will interview some foster parents and share their feelings with you. might best answer this question. Your foster daughter Holly is 15 years old and an alcoholic. It was only when the full detail of Holly's condition was presented to you before placement that you became aware of teenage and pre-teen alcoholism. It was necessary that Holly be put in a foster home rather than a group home because of the seriousness of her problem and her inability to withstand the pressure of other girls her age in a group home. When you took Holly she was discharged from the detoxification center and it was at this time that you found out that teens are turning to drinking rather than drug abuse because register for school. By 13 she was a heavy drinker and continued as such until six months ago when she was found passed out on a park bench at 2 a.m. Holly has now been with you four months and you have learned to take it one day at a time. She does not attend school but is receiving maximum support from her counselor, from both of you and from "Gram". Your mother is a special person who has become important to Holly and spends time teaching her to cook and to care for herself. her-self. It is necessary for her to recover her physical health before she can involve herself in those things most middle teens care about. Only time will provide the answer as to the real depth of the physical and psychological damage; you plan to be right there to help her pick up the pieces of her life and become what she as a person is entitled to become in this life. The above example is not one that every foster parent faces; but it does give one an idea of just how serious some of the problems are. The Foster Parents do not have to face such problems by themselves. They are supported and helped by well-trained people like Mr. Anderson. Mr. Anderson has empathy for these children because he has seen the significance of an adequate home in his own life. When he was 12 his mother passed away and he found what it was like to experience a home without a mother. He was the oldest of six children and his father later remarried a woman with three children. The birth of a new baby brought the number of children to 10 and it was easy for Mr. Anderson to see the necessity for good parenting and good family relationships. After growing up in Sevier County, Mr. Anderson obtained his B.S. degree from BYU in Business personnel with a minor |