“What to expect when you’re expecting: a placement”, now that sounds like an intriguing book title. I wish there was a way to prepare you for your first placement or any placement for that matter!

You receive a Charlie’s Angel’s type phone call and the person on the other end of the phone gives you a resume, if you will, of a child or sibling group who needs a home. From the information provided, only your gut allows you to make a decision. Can this child come into my home? Come into my life? Am I adequate for this child? Can I handle this child?

Then the child(ren) are physically in your home. All strangers, but the unfamiliarity is the common ground. So this is what you move forward with. An open mind and using each day/discovery as a tool to make things easier and more comfortable during the journey.

Sadly these children experience more than any adult would in their lifetime before they reach your doorstep. The two girls in my home experienced almost every maltreatment possible all before the age of 2 and 11 months! I learned quickly that behaviors were only a reflection of their experiences and it was going to take time for them to heal, let alone fall under the “typical child” category.

It hasn’t been 48 hrs and I’m all in. I am THE advocate and protector for these two little girls. I am their parents’ cheerleader as long as they are paving the way for a safe reunification. However, these two little girls deserve the best and I will make sure they get just that.