Almost the last day of the month. Not that either of those things mean much...
Put away all of the laundry. It took longer than washing it. But the babies weren't at the laundromat and they weren't much help. It is very difficult to get things done with just one baby. Two should make it easier because they play together but they both want my undivided attention most of the time.
I was supposed to take Jessalynn to see her mother today but it was noon before I got in touch with Jess. I am supposed to pick Jess up after Jeremy gets off and take her and Jessalynn to her house if things go as planned. I haven't heard from Jess since noon so I'm not too sure. Calling her now. No answer. Jessalynn is staying up to see her mom and I'm afraid she is going to be disappointed again.
Jami sent me a text saying they wouldn't make the visit because they are sick. Cheri wasn't too happy about it! I know Jami is sick but I'm not sure about Kirk. I haven't talked to them all day.
I tried to look up KVC on the Internet and couldn't get to their site because it said something about it not being a safe site. It appears they are new in Nebraska but have been very successful elsewhere, mostly Kansas. I really wanted to see their mission statement. Something just feels wrong with the way this whole thing is going. Jami and Kirk get very little help with their addiction, I think Jami was approved to go through the BAART clinic for help but not Kirk, and it just won't work unless they help both of them at the same time and even that is iffy. There seem to be no pressure on them to find jobs or a home. They were pushy about them getting their evaluations done but then nothing. And I don't seem to get much help with Kira's care at all. I get $10.00 a day pay to take care of her, maybe that is low because I am also her grandmother, and that doesn't do much. She is a ward of the state and I am her foster mother and I know foster parents are supposed to get a clothing allowance and other things that aren't available to me. I asked if they could help with a car seat and clothes and they said that I was supposed to buy that out of the $10.00 a day. It wouldn't matter except I am living on disability and have nothing to spare most of the time. I don't even turn on the central heat in the winter when it is just Jeremy and me and I have had it on since I got Kira 24/7 and that is going to catch up with me. I have been trying to contact my DHS worker since December 16th and she has returned NONE of my calls. I applied online for food stamps almost two weeks ago and when I called to check on it yesterday my worker didn't answer, of course, so I called the main number and the woman who answered said she could do nothing for me. I told her I knew she could at least look up my application and she grudgingly did so and told me that it hadn't been received. I asked if they had problems with online applications and she said no, people file like that all the time, but just mine didn't go through. (Neither did the one I filed for Michelle last month!) Cheri got Vickie's supervisor's name for me and I tried to call her but got her voice mail, left a message, and have heard nothing. Jeremy got his income tax return and it is getting eaten up with groceries and diapers and bills. I haven't even told him how much I have spent of it but I think he has an idea.
We have a Family Meeting with KVC and DHS once a month and the meetings are a joke. We ask for help with things and they discuss which department is responsible for what we are asking about and promises are make and then nothing. We are all supposed to be positive and praise Jami and Kirk for their progress even though there has been very little and everything negative is just skimmed over if it is discussed at all. I don't think Jami and Kirk take any of this very seriously and why should they? Nothing is addressed like it is a serious thing if it is addressed at all. When this first started I tried to talk to Ashley about Jami and Kirk's addiction and how I was afraid they would still be addicted when they get Kira back and she said that it was possible they would and when I questioned the wisdom of that she snapped at me that I had to remember that they weren't charged with a drug offense, just Child Endangerment (from using drugs!!!). (Not tht they hurt her because they were high. It was an accident. But I do think being strung out they miss evaluated the seriousness of her injury and that they were hesitant to take her to a doctor because of how and where they were living.)
I see two possible outcomes. One, they eventually give Kira back to her parents just as they are and Kira lives the life of a junkie's kid. Two, they dick around and act like there is nothing pressing that Jami and Kirk need to do to get Kira back and then out of the blue tell them they did a bad job and terminate their parental rights even though they would have done anything required if they had been given the chance and made to understand they might lose Kira if they if they didn't get clean and on their feet fast enough. I really doubt scenario #2. It just doesn't seem that anyone at KVC or DHS or the judge involved care enough to do anything.
Glad I got that off my chest.
Put away all of the laundry. It took longer than washing it. But the babies weren't at the laundromat and they weren't much help. It is very difficult to get things done with just one baby. Two should make it easier because they play together but they both want my undivided attention most of the time.
I was supposed to take Jessalynn to see her mother today but it was noon before I got in touch with Jess. I am supposed to pick Jess up after Jeremy gets off and take her and Jessalynn to her house if things go as planned. I haven't heard from Jess since noon so I'm not too sure. Calling her now. No answer. Jessalynn is staying up to see her mom and I'm afraid she is going to be disappointed again.
Jami sent me a text saying they wouldn't make the visit because they are sick. Cheri wasn't too happy about it! I know Jami is sick but I'm not sure about Kirk. I haven't talked to them all day.
I tried to look up KVC on the Internet and couldn't get to their site because it said something about it not being a safe site. It appears they are new in Nebraska but have been very successful elsewhere, mostly Kansas. I really wanted to see their mission statement. Something just feels wrong with the way this whole thing is going. Jami and Kirk get very little help with their addiction, I think Jami was approved to go through the BAART clinic for help but not Kirk, and it just won't work unless they help both of them at the same time and even that is iffy. There seem to be no pressure on them to find jobs or a home. They were pushy about them getting their evaluations done but then nothing. And I don't seem to get much help with Kira's care at all. I get $10.00 a day pay to take care of her, maybe that is low because I am also her grandmother, and that doesn't do much. She is a ward of the state and I am her foster mother and I know foster parents are supposed to get a clothing allowance and other things that aren't available to me. I asked if they could help with a car seat and clothes and they said that I was supposed to buy that out of the $10.00 a day. It wouldn't matter except I am living on disability and have nothing to spare most of the time. I don't even turn on the central heat in the winter when it is just Jeremy and me and I have had it on since I got Kira 24/7 and that is going to catch up with me. I have been trying to contact my DHS worker since December 16th and she has returned NONE of my calls. I applied online for food stamps almost two weeks ago and when I called to check on it yesterday my worker didn't answer, of course, so I called the main number and the woman who answered said she could do nothing for me. I told her I knew she could at least look up my application and she grudgingly did so and told me that it hadn't been received. I asked if they had problems with online applications and she said no, people file like that all the time, but just mine didn't go through. (Neither did the one I filed for Michelle last month!) Cheri got Vickie's supervisor's name for me and I tried to call her but got her voice mail, left a message, and have heard nothing. Jeremy got his income tax return and it is getting eaten up with groceries and diapers and bills. I haven't even told him how much I have spent of it but I think he has an idea.
We have a Family Meeting with KVC and DHS once a month and the meetings are a joke. We ask for help with things and they discuss which department is responsible for what we are asking about and promises are make and then nothing. We are all supposed to be positive and praise Jami and Kirk for their progress even though there has been very little and everything negative is just skimmed over if it is discussed at all. I don't think Jami and Kirk take any of this very seriously and why should they? Nothing is addressed like it is a serious thing if it is addressed at all. When this first started I tried to talk to Ashley about Jami and Kirk's addiction and how I was afraid they would still be addicted when they get Kira back and she said that it was possible they would and when I questioned the wisdom of that she snapped at me that I had to remember that they weren't charged with a drug offense, just Child Endangerment (from using drugs!!!). (Not tht they hurt her because they were high. It was an accident. But I do think being strung out they miss evaluated the seriousness of her injury and that they were hesitant to take her to a doctor because of how and where they were living.)
I see two possible outcomes. One, they eventually give Kira back to her parents just as they are and Kira lives the life of a junkie's kid. Two, they dick around and act like there is nothing pressing that Jami and Kirk need to do to get Kira back and then out of the blue tell them they did a bad job and terminate their parental rights even though they would have done anything required if they had been given the chance and made to understand they might lose Kira if they if they didn't get clean and on their feet fast enough. I really doubt scenario #2. It just doesn't seem that anyone at KVC or DHS or the judge involved care enough to do anything.
Glad I got that off my chest.
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