A Foster Girl Who Blossomed

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Recommended: Foster care and the effects on children

I started working at an elementary school by my house in December of 2004. I was hired as a One on One in a first through third grade Special Education class room to work with a student with autism. Working in the class room I noticed that the teacher needed extra help with the other students, so I took that on too. I met a special little girl in this class that seemed to be withdrawn from her peers and some of the teachers. When, I met her she had chopped blonde hair to her ears with dirt on her face, and drool coming down her chin. She smelt badly like urine and wore clothing that looked ratty. In that year I learned that this little girl was born to drugs and taken away from her mother by CYFD at age three. She ended up with her uncle who became her foster parent. Her individualized education program (IEP) forms documented her as having slight retardation and the need of Speech Therapy (SP) along with Occupational Therapy (OT) at school. It was clear that no one was giving her a healthy life she deserved. There was no support at home from her five older siblings and two cousins. I hated to see her this way, so I was bringing in snacks, clothing and lotion to mask the poor hygiene. Teachers thought that this little girl would be broken for life and did not stand a chance at eight years old. She had been through a lot and couldn’t be changed because of her family life influences. However, that would not be the case for this little girl. She did change and was no longer labeled.

My husband and I became the foster parents for this little girl for over a year and half. I came to work one day to find out by the case worker that this little girl was put into a shelter because of the poor living conditions among other issues. I aske...

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...noticed that she stood tall with her shoulders back. Having long fixed beautiful blonde hair, she showed a big gleaming smile on her clean face with no drool. She spoke so sharply and had an amazing attitude with confidence in herself. This was not a little fragile girl but a girl that was ready to conquer the world and all this was given to her because I did not see her as a labeled girl. I was ecstatic to have been part of this magical thing. So, when people around her gave up and assumed she would never be normal or have a normal life they were proved wrong and they got to watch as her life blossomed. Eventually she returned to her mother and kept the skills we taught her. We have a great relationship in present day between our two families. This is a good example for all of us to have our hearts open and make a difference in a child’s life that is unfortunate.

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