Mom of the year

.


Several years ago I was following my daughter (toddler age) around at my son's baseball game. I overheard a lady talking to another mom. She pointed out the mom doing the snacks and drinks for that team and said she was her son's foster mom. She explained that her son wanted to play baseball and she couldn't afford it, plus her new boyfriend didn't like kids so she "arranged" for him to spend six months in foster care. The other woman acted surprised and asked her how she did that. She said that there were lots of ways, you can call in an anonymous report on yourself, or have a friend do it or just have your kid tell the school counselor he is getting beat at home. She went on to explain that it was win win because she got a break from the kid, band he got to play baseball and when he came home he would have new toys and new clothes. she explained that sometimes you had to complain till you got a "good" foster parent. But that this lady was awesome. She said she had done this before and the last foster family got her kid all brand name clothes and she asked for the outgrown clothes when he came home so she could take them to the consignment shop. She said that rich people send their kids to camp or boarding school if they want a break and she figured this was pretty much the same thing. I really hope she is an exception and there are not a lot like her.


Wait how do you plan for to put your kid in foster care. Is it really worth all the court hearings, social worker visits, case plans, etc? Like do you look at the judge with a straight face knowing that your child is not really a victim of abuse/neglect? Must be really confident to risk TPR.