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@kayla-skywriter

Technically, the parents can be involved if the problem involves genetics. For instance, if the mom was alcoholic or violent, people might assume that Jane will be too when she gets older, but the likelihood of the foster family actually knowing that is slim, so yeah, they don’t really affect much.

As for a non severe reason for slipping through the system so much, I have no idea. Honestly, if there are no parents in the way, and no family, then DSS’s goal is going to be to get her adopted.

Now, I just had a thought, and you can take it or leave it, as it might not fit into what you want with your story, but what if Jane had been adopted, and then a few months later, when they thought things had settled down and they weren’t being watched as closely, issues arose, and she was taken out of that home and put back into foster care. Then future foster families might wonder what was wrong with Jane to have to be put back into foster care. It’s a bit far fetched, but that’s the only thing I could think of that a “normal” kid might not be able to be adopted. Kind of like returned goods at a store.

I’d love to hear why she wasn’t adopted as a baby, as well as her backstory on her faith and mindset because those are the real big kickers for me. Those are the questions that made me scoff a little and mark it down as unrealistic and merely a feel-good story. So, I feel like those questions have to be answered satisfactorily. (That being said, I still greatly enjoyed the story, and I stayed up late at night to finish it, which is something I haven’t done to a book in a couple of years now, so don’t feel like it’s terrible and a waste of time — it’s not. It just needs a lot of work.

Guardian ad Litems: They are volunteers, and yes, I suppose they’re chosen at random. As far as I know, religious beliefs are not really factored in, so yeah, I guess a pastor could be one, as long as he meets the criteria. NOTE: Guardians are not for all foster care cases. They are for termination of parental rights cases and other child abuse cases, so Jane probably won’t have one. Basically, they are the representation of the child in court and do investigation in criminal matters. If Jane would not be going to court (there have been no criminal actions) then she wouldn’t need a voice in court.

Disclaimer: Please do your research for fostering in the state where your story is because laws can vary somewhat from state to state. For instance, while fire drills were required every month in my state, it is sometimes only required every quarter in others, or sometimes every week or every other week. (I guess depending on the likelihood of fires in the area.) So, research those things. My details were more as a handle on something to research because we all know it’s hard to research something when you don’t know where to start. Like, you might not have come up with the Guardians if you had just researched “foster care”.

Glad I could help! I like spreading awareness about fostering, because, to be honest, it’s kind of a secretive business. Sometimes it feels like we’re secret agents. There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes that most people just don’t talk about.

Let me know if there are any other questions you have, and I’ll be glad to answer them.

~Katy