Foster care blues

Most of you know that Daniel and I are doing foster care right now. We have an awesome little guy who just turned one. We have had him since he was 4 months old. Since we have had him, we've seen him sit up, crawl, walk, say mama and dada and much much more. He has been a joy to have in our home. He is finally in a stable home with a mom and dad to give him the necessary love and needs he requires. So why am I writing about this?
Today is Shane's first visit with his Mom without Daniel or I there with him. Talk about stress and anxiety. Foster care is not for the weak. We (more like i've) have really had to put my controlling cap on lately. We are dealing with an 18 year old woman who wants her son back but will use manipulation to make you feel sorry for her. And when she doesn't get her way, she throws a fit, just like a child. Should I be mad...yes, but really when we take a look at this young woman's life she is really doing this because it is how she survives through life. It's the only way a girl who grew up without a father knows to act to get attention.  It's so frustrating to witness this and then on top of it to see how our social services and even our social workers cater to the birth parents like they are the victim. I thought this poor kid being exposed to drugs was the victim...
So they want me to drive Shane out to the ghetto to his birth moms house and my question is why?? Isn't this just giving the birth mom who is supposed to be proving she can take care of herself and this child another easy way out? Who cares if she has to take a bus and a train to see him. She put herself in this situation, no? And I will say that if anyone is wondering if they should do foster care I say no! This system treats foster families horrible. I say shame on you California for the reunification process. If these parents who neglect, expose to dangerous situations, and mistreat these poor kids and then you want to reunify them with their parents just because she said she did a parenting class how is that showing they are off drugs or have changed their ways? If I disclosed the things our birth parents do that are still showing they are not fit and you disregard it, what is your problem? What is wrong with our legal system? Why is it embracing reunification when the parents are absolutely
unfit? Just called me frustrated...

Our little guy

These two have become buddies. Cody can make Shane laugh harder than anyone. And Shane will look at pictures of Cody around the house and get a big smile on his face. It's absolutely heart warming to see these two interact together.

Little ones from above

I apologize for those reading, our computer died a couple of weeks ago so I can't post any pictures right now but we have become foster parents through an agency that works with the county. On Friday we were at knotts berry farm and I received a call telling us that there was a 4 month old baby named Shane who needs a home to stay at. They needed someone that night, as in a couple of hours. We gladly took the opportunity and we have sweet little Shane in our home. It's been awesome. We don't know much at all about his situation and why he was taken from his birth parents but we don't really need that info to fall in love with him. Shane loves Cody and its reciprocated. Cody can make him laugh harder than anyone else has been able to. It's been so cute to see Cody interact and do silly things to make Shane laugh. We appreciate our families and friends who have given us things and have been so open to Shane. But really, who couldn't love a baby?? We hate to wish harm or ill things towards his birth parents but we really hope he can stay with our family forever. He is an angel from above and I know as long as he is with us he is safe and loved.