Fiona's new school

So last night when Fiona called and said she was moving, I wasn't sure if it was true. Her time sense is erratic and she can still not read a calendar. She is 16 but reading wise has not progressed beyond first or maybe second grade level. I called her sw this a.m. I still have the social services phone number speed dialled on my work phone, even after all these years. I have been through something like 5 social workers with her. Calling them has always been an exercise in patience. Or maybe in futility because it would take a minimum of 10 or 12 calls to get a call back. And these were calls placed to social workers who saw that I showed up at every team meeting for this child, every IEP meeting, every therapy appt, visit, etc. Except of course for the times they didn't show up and i did. They probably didn't notice then.

At any rate, Fiona now has this kick a** social worker. I have never met the woman, but she ROCKS! She calls back. The SAME day! You have no idea how totally cool I find this. When I couldn't get people to call me back before I was a legal, intregal part of the "team" for Fiona. I was the foster to adopt mom. Later I was the visiting resource and educational surrogate. At any rate, now I have zippo legal standing and this woman calls me and has information! She told me Fiona moves next Tuesday and gave me the name of the school. She said it was nice. I sort of reserved judgement as the placement that was supposed to be so nice after they yanked her out of our locale was far from it. That was the place where she decompensated so badly that she wound up hospitalized for 4 months. Yup, 4 months. Not because she needed hospitalizatin all that time but because they didn't know where to put her. Finally they settled on the place where she has been for the past 2 yrs and she has really improved. When they said they were moving, I assumed it was a cost saving measure. I had reasons for being so cynical and jaded. Reasons beyond dealing with DSS, I mean. That was the reason she was moved from the residential placement near us. It was expensive. I was flat out told at the meeting that determined placement that the state needed to save money and this was a ridiculous amount of money for her care and education if she was not able to improve cognitively.

Once i got the name of the school I googled it. It is a fairly long way away from my home and still precludes lots of face to face visits. BUT this school looks like it totally is amazing. It is in a former mansion and each child gets their own room which they can decorate as they wish. The school focusses on children 13 to 22 with brain injury or neurological impairment. Fiona doesn't have the former but the latter would definately fall into her laundry list of diagnosis. The grounds look pretty. The school year is extended, which is something she really needs to prevent loss of knowledge. The teacher pupil ratio is 1:4 which is awesome. There are partnerships for vocational trainings with area businesses. There is a lot of structure. It is a dream come true that she be in a place like this again. In many ways--except for the focus on neurological impairment and brain injury, the school is very similar to the one in our area where she did very well.

I am over the moon with excitement for Fiona. I so want this to work for her. I really really want her not to be one of the kids who age out of foster care and become homeless, or abused, or a detriment to society and themselves. This could really be a step forward for her. Someone is really pulling for my daughter and I am grateful. There is no way this school is the least expensive option they found. But I think it is by far, one of the best.