By Megan Burns, MSW
Everyone is familiar with the age-old question of which came first, the chicken or the egg. I often ask myself which came first: my calling to be a social worker or my calling to be a foster parent.
I became a child welfare social worker after finishing my Master of Social Work degree. I became a foster parent about five years later. Over the past decade I’ve held many roles in DSS including foster care permanency worker, foster/adoptive parent recruiter and trainer, and now I’m a foster home licensing and placement worker.
As for my foster parent journey, my husband and I were licensed for almost five years with DSS, had six children come through our home, and adopted two of those children. I believe that having worn the hat of social worker, foster parent, and now adoptive parent gives me a unique perspective. I aim to use this perspective to humanize the other side, bring understanding, and increase cooperation.
Being a child welfare social worker and a foster parent seem to be two separate realities. The social worker lives in a world of safety vs. risk, reunification efforts, policies and procedures, paperwork and court, and time speeds by as they work to help children and families day-to-day. The foster parent lives in a world of changing diapers, kissing boo-boos, hugs, and reading books. Time creeps by between court dates. For a worker, there is a caseload of kids that is part of a broader system, but for a foster parent, there is only this child, or this case, and a lived life with emotions at play.
For the foster parents that I work with, I strive to help them understand the underlying laws, policies, procedures, and time frames that the social worker must follow. To help them see these workers as people who likely got into this field to make a difference. A social worker’s day rarely ends at 5pm and even if it does, thoughts of the day likely linger long after they leave the office. They manage their own emotions and feelings about a case professionally and keep an eye on their goal of spurring change and reunifying families.
For the social workers I work with, I hope to help them understand foster parents are people who have feelings, opinions, and busy schedules. I help them see that a foster parent’s role never ends at 5pm and if they’re doing it right, there is attachment and strong emotions at play. A foster parent’s input should be considered and respected, even if it differs from the agency, and they should be treated as partners in a case. I encourage foster parents to be celebrated and cherished, not taken for granted or dismissed.
My goal is to be a champion for my families within the agency to ensure they feel supported and encouraged by all staff, not just the licensing team. Foster parents and social workers are both essential to our work with vulnerable children, so let’s build each other up to do the work together.
Megan Burns, MSW is a Foster Home Licensing and Placement Worker with Catawba County
