...on life at the Welfare Department

It is almost seventeen years since I first walked into my job here at Children Services. I remember standing at the time clock with my friend, Donna, totally clueless about a government agency, let alone Children Services. Donna and I are still here, the only remaining two people in our start group. Donna is a legal secretary now, and I am the Records Supervisor. It occurred to me that my family probably doesn’t really know what I do. (I love my job!) (Except for May.) I haven’t written here in a while because I’ve been so wrapped up at work and when I get home, I just want to vegetate, play Bejeweled and watch the screen in chat. (May is really tough for me.)

While at work, I field questions from customers (we don’t call them clients anymore because it is politically incorrect.…yep, that’s the Welfare Way.) I get calls from people wanting to know if I can look in their files and see who has custody of their children, (You don't know that???) from people who want to know who their worker is, ("some lady was here and took my kids! Who was it? --- Let me get this straight---Someone was at your home, removed your children and you don’t know who it was??????). Some people just want to complain that "you people" need to do your job and ‘why did you take my kids when my neighbor/friend/relative, fill in the blank, beats her kids?’. Then there is always the call from the crack mom who lost her kids about ten years ago and just now realizes it. Try explaining that one! (I love my job.)

One of the best parts of my job is doing the adoption searches. Children can seek their biological parents at age 21. I cannot provide names, only the court can authorize that, but I can give them all the medical and social history in the file. Most are easy….young unwed mom, no financial support, looking out for her child so that he/she may have a more fulfilling life with parents who can provide. However, there are always those severe abuse/neglect cases and it’s really difficult sometimes to relate a history to the adopted person without sounding bias. "Just the facts, Ma’am" as Joe Friday would say. However, no matter how you put it, ie ‘lack of bonding’, ‘poor supervision’, ‘chronic alcohol abuse’, the child still gets the picture that Mom/Dad didn’t care a lick for him, so much so, that the state had to step in and take permanent custody. There was the one time I had to tell an adopted person that her father was extradited to another state on murder/rape charges and is still in prison. (That was a tough one, but I love my job!)

The law is very clear about not sharing identifying information about the parents to the adopted child; however, there is a big gray area when it comes to siblings. Siblings should never be separated anyway. However, as often was the case in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, you were lucky to find an adoptive parent to take one child, let alone several children. Soooooo….when it comes to siblings searching for siblings, I can stay within the law and still help. I once had a call from a man (a captain in the military) who was searching for family history on his parents. When I pulled the file, I noticed he had a sister who requested the same information several years prior. After thinking, getting advice and reading the law, I made a decision to call the sister (without revealing any identifying information) and told her that I had reason to be in her file and wondered if she wanted any contact with a brother. She was ecstatic and couldn’t believe one of her brothers made contact. I sent her the forms to file and did all the paperwork for her and the brother. Making a very complex and long story short, all seven….yes, seven siblings are now in contact with one another. They are scattered all over the country and have managed to meet each other for a big reunion as well as many of their relatives. (I love my job!)

I run a check on every person who wants to be a foster parent, either publicly or privately funded. I send the person the results. Sometimes they don’t understand why that little cocaine problem a couple years back might hold them back.,..or how that little stint in jail for drunk driving might factor in..,.or the fact that their own children were in foster care might be a problem. A recent one tried to gloss over the fact that she was arrested at the airport with 1K of coacaine in her bra. I try, as best as I can, to explain why some of these things might be a problem. If they aren’t happy with the answer, I help them fill out Complaint and Review paperwork. (I love my job.)

And then there is May. May is really trying for me. Continued tomorrow.