Meeting the Mandates

You’ve read the statistics, now how will you remove this enormous ball and chain?

Check each mandate off your list. Possible mandates might include; Parenting classes, therapy, drug classes and testing, restitution, supervised visits. Whatever the mandates, they will be your responsibility to take care of them. If you have a job, it will be tough. If you don’t than you have plenty of time while your kids are away.

Mandates will be your full time job. There will be parenting classes, drug classes, therapy, and visits. Some of these things might be once a week, some twice. Make sure your schedule allows for all these things. Hopefully, you will be allowed 2 visits a week with your children. Don’t miss any. If you’re feeling exhausted and overwhelmed you are probably meeting those mandates.

I can’t say this enough, keep open communication with your social worker and foster parents. They can support you if you let them. It is the job of the social worker to keep kids safe. It may seem as if they are the enemy and you can feel any negative emotion you want, however if your kids have been taken from you there is a reason. You know that reason. Now, that being said most parents do the best they know how. It may not be good enough, but it’s the best that they can do. Its time to learn how to parent. If you truly love your kids it would be wise not only to take your parenting classes and participate. Read everything there is to read. Parenting doesn’t come naturally to everyone. Some people don’t bond with their kids easily. It doesn’t mean you’re a bad person, but you might need to see a therapist to figure out why this is a problem.

Keep your list of mandates out where you can easily find it and read it every day.