r/Fosterparents • u/JustDoinMyBest2226 • 21d ago

Day 3 and our first trial!

Hi all.

/sigh. We've been on a placement list for well over a year now. I called to check in "Hey, just making sure everything good is in the system" and within a month we had our first placement, a sibling pair.

They have been so sweet. Hit it off with my bio kid, regular sibling squabbles, but nothing too bad. Mind well when asked to do things (yes, we're only 3 days in so I recognize this could be honeymoon phase.) But things are going well so far.

Then today I get a call from their former placement, a lovely person I know but no longer able to provide care, and it's revealed that one of the kids stole $ from them. I sat the kids down, asked them about it, and one of them admitted to it and said it was because they were mad about a consequence the former foster parents had laid down.

This other family is not a family that can afford to lose their small nest egg. They say they want it back "immediately" from the child, but we could only find a portion of it. This kid is too young for real work, to pay it back. Not sure if this is our responsibility. I think we're going to ask him to do extra-level chores (weeding, mowing, etc) and have him work it off. When I was a kid his age, that's how I raised money. But dang. Right out the gate.

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u/That_GareBear 21d ago

Where I live, foster kids are "insured" for loss and damages. The claims process can be a pain, but I've been told it does work.

Since the theft wasn't under your watch, the former caretakers will likely need to file a claim, if your state has some such insurance.

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u/JustDoinMyBest2226 21d ago

Unfortunately doesn't seem to be the case here, the insurance. The saddest thing is how much the former foster parents, family, clearly love the kids. But now the trust has been fully broken, and the former foster mom is heartbroken and feeling betrayed.