Precious Little Souls

For those of you who don't know what I do for a living (ie don't know me personally) I'm a caseworker for children in foster care. I used to work in the residential aspect, now I work with foster homes. People who hear about what I do tend to go one of two ways on the spectrum: 1) either they think I play with kids for a living and get paid (sometimes true) or 2) they say they have no idea how I do it without being angry (not true--there are days I come home angry). They don't understand how much they're missing--how much makes this job worth it for me. There's the obvious: getting a child being abused or neglected into a home where they're safe, loved, and valued. But there's also other rewards, like teaching a young mother that instead of screaming or shaking her child she could utilize time outs and take a time out herself if it becomes too much. Or that moment when a single parents realizes their mistakes and knows they can do it. Its looking into they eyes of a child who knows much more about the cruelty of the world, and having them smile at you despite it all. It's not about the money I make, it's about the value of the little victories.

Having said that, you can see my frustration when I read THIS.

If you ever had to wonder why I'm continuing to do this job... there you are. Makes me ill and probably will keep me up at night wondering how these poor children will ever be able to trust an adult again.