Be the Champion

“Every child deserves a champion — an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the best they can possibly be.” – Rita F. Pierson

This week, I had court for the baby I’m currently caring for. I expected a lot of things, but none of them came to pass. Court was continued and a stay in place order was executed, meaning that nothing can happen or change for this little baby until the next court date.

There were placements that I would have been overjoyed to have more time with, but the reality is this little girl has been with me for almost nine months. We’ve exhausted every possible kinship placement for her and even multiple potential adoptive families have passed, leaving her in emergency foster care.

I’m loving the time I get with her, but emergency care is supposed to be short-term for a reason. For every day she spends with me, that is a day she misses out on growing attachment with a forever family. For every hour I spend with her, it will be harder to let that connection go and to re-attach to someone new.

As a foster parent, there isn’t a lot I can do to when it comes to fighting against the system. I can be a squeaky wheel and inform the social worker what I think is best, but at the end of the day, I don’t have a say in the court’s decision.

It is a fine line between being a champion and being rude, and with my anti-confrontational personality, I tend to err on the side of caution when it comes to making waves. But this time, I’m putting on my big girl pants and making a fuss.

This little girl (and all my babies) deserve to have someone fight for them, someone who is in their corner unconditionally, no matter what the outcome of the case is.

I won’t lie. I’m tired. Like really, really tired. But I can’t give up because this fight isn’t for me; it’s for her. And because she can’t fight for herself, I will continue to fight for her, even if it is hard.