#Fostering Care

[spacexfucker]

i've seen so many people (usually women) say about the stitch remake "let nani be happy" in regards to giving up lilo and going to the USA for school

which just like goes to show that people are right you know? white people cannot engage with media that is not about them and watch it to gain new perspective. you see white people do this with ghibli all the time.

in this instance, white people watched the original stitch, absorbed absolutely nothing about the message on colonialism or that nani desperately actually wants to keep lilo, and instead just superimposed themselves onto nani. of course they think she should "just be happy" and leave her sister with the state. of course they think that "she's with a family friend and can portal any time".

there's not even a shallow understanding of the original movie and its themes. there's absolutely no knowledge of Hawai'i and its history and how Hawai'ians feel.

By and large, white people as a group are hyper individualists. it's like a cornerstone of white supremacy. "my wants/desires/needs above all others" and "my comfort above all others". They think Nani deserves their version of happiness. One that's how they navigate real life: sacrificing everything but personal gain under the guise of self care. Acting like abandoning your family and community is only brave and freeing. Painting it like a feminist retelling of the original.

So many proving they are not immune to propaganda. That disney can just wrap up this colonialist retelling of a once profound story and package it to you with smiley stickers and sanitized storylines of the Progressive Woman Who Girlbosses To Happiness and you lap it up because feminist stories are just about Doing What's Best For Me Only apparently. It pivots away from Nani's agency in the first movie. Her desire to do all she can to keep Lilo. And people celebrate it because feminism is when women do What I Think They Should to be Happy.

I don't think enough people listen to people who have been in the system. Or understand how dangerous it is to have it painted as heartwarming and safe. It doesn't matter who Lilo is with at the end of the movie. If you think the state won't disappear children you need to look up some statistics and ask yourself why Nani was so desperate to keep her in the original film.

[britannia112]

Building Bright Futures in the Kids Zone

Explore the Britannia Fostering Kids Zone, where imagination takes flight and learning knows no bounds. Engage your child in a world of interactive activities, educational resources, and fun games designed to foster creativity and personal growth. Discover a supportive environment dedicated to the well-being of every child, as we strive to create lasting memories and build a foundation for a bright future. Join us on this exciting journey of discovery and empowerment at Britannia Fostering's Kids Zone.

[horizonfostering]

Creating a Supportive Network in Your First Year of Fostering

Discover the secret to successful fostering, especially in your first year. It is all about creating a supportive network with local agencies, online communities, and fellow carers. Find out how you can navigate your first year of fostering by creating a working network.

Are you a foster carer in your first year of care? Well, you must know how difficult it can be to navigate this area. Fostering is a noble and rewarding endeavor that you would enjoy if you had the right support.

There is no doubt that your first - year experience as afoster carer can be a mix of exciting and frustrating emotions. We have a responsibility to assist you to  enjoy fostering by providing you with the right solutions.

Navigating Fostering through Supportive Network

The first solution for becoming a better foster carer in your first year is creating a supportive network. The challenges in fostering are unique and only a network that understands these challenges can help you navigate through them. For example, if you are Fostering in UK, you need a supportive network within the country. Such a network will understand the unique challenges and help you navigate through them.

A support network not only helps you understand the fostering in your area, but also provides you with emotional support and valuable information that gives you a sense of community.

How to Create a Supportive Network?

Here are some open ways foster carers can use to create a supportive network in their first year of fostering.

Connect with local foster care agencies

The first source of help to create a working network is the local foster care agencies. They have direct access to existing foster carers and often organise training sessions, form support groups, and workshops to help new foster carers adapt to their fostering expectations.

Attending the events organised by local foster care agencies also allows you to start creating a network with fellow foster carers.

Join online forums and communities

The internet has made it so easy for you to find the local online forums and communities. These social spaces allow you to connect with experienced foster carers and ask questions or share experiences. You can always get any kind of help from these groups. However, you have to filter the information and verify with your foster care agency if in doubt.

Build relationships with fellow foster carers

There is no better network than building relationships with fellow foster carers. They have probably gone through what you are experiencing now and would be glad to share some insights on how to handle your current situation. It is a two-way relationship, meaning that you also need to share your experiences to add value to the fostering community.

Maintain open communication with your agency

The work of your agency doesn’t end with matching you with the right children for whom to care. Foster Care Services go beyond matching to guiding foster carers. Therefore, maintain an open communication with your agency.

Always seek help when you are unsure of anything. Never feel like you are a bother to the agency – it is understandable and expected that you will have lots of questions and concerns during your first year of fostering.

Final Thought: You’re Not Alone

As you embark on the fostering commitment, you should remember that you are not alone. You need a supportive network that will care for your well-being and the children that are under your care. Always remember that there is a community of existing foster carers and agencies that are willing to help you navigate through any challenge that you might have in your first year of fostering.

[mohntilyet]

still i think the one of the more fun differences drawn between illario and lucanis that was lost would be illario's ability to endear himself to others but serious lack of empathy, vs. lucanis' (self perceived) inability to be charming but how much he cares. it's interesting that the game has gone with the "lucanis' ability vs illario's lack thereof" because i think illario being the dellamorte 'best in show dog' vs. lucanis' attack dog would have made me so unwell.

lucanis is... awkward. he's not unlikable, because he is usually very polite, but he doesn't speak much and only seems to care about the other dellamortes. he once sent viago de riva a knife with no note (who knows what he could have meant by this). he does what caterina asks of him, and by his own admission, cannot say no to her. he is a dramatic and prolific killer, and that makes how untouchable he is even worse.

and the crows like illario, sure, AND he's a good assassin! he's even a good crow! he's so good that he can make lucanis smile, and so he is the charming, sociable one. he's the one that stays in treviso and can be relied upon to care, illario's even the one people prefer over caterina and lucanis!

but illario is decoration. he's the prize poodle, and even if poodles were bred to be working dogs, nobody will ever pick him to protect the house over the german shepherd that regularly mauls intruders. anyways the analogy is getting away from me. the point i'm trying to make is that i want illario to have a different kind of jealousy/hatred that's not just over 'being bad at killing' but also an arrogant loathing for everyone around him that is getting harder to hide, because they've forgotten he can bite and is just itching to rip someone's jugular out. illario is very good at hiding his family resemblance to caterina, while lucanis suffers under his grandmother's, and his own, reputation.

[hackfixation]

I have not watched the live-action Lilo and Stitch. I do not plan to ever watch it. That being said, as a former Foster Kid, I want to discuss the implications of Nani giving up Lilo.

I haven't watched the original film in years for the simple fact of: It's portrayal of CPS, Nani's desperation to prove to a judgemental system and Lilo's lack of agency in the entire decision hits too close to home for me.

However, I would rather see that a million times over THAN NANI GIVING UP LILO.

Even without the colonialist implications, it is a disgusting ending to have for a film that is supposed to be about two sisters trying despite everything against them. To willingly give up her legal rights to Lilo for college, is a selfish decision and incredibly traumatizing for Lilo.

I know this because my parents relinquished their rights to me. It has been 13 years since that happened and I still deal with feelings of resentment, betrayal, and the idea nobody wants me. I was 13 when that happened, how would Lilo feel? How would any other foster kid who finds comfort in this movie feel?

Lilo is essentially told by her sister that she is not worth more than her dreams. That Nani, the only living relative she has left and has known her whole life, didn't even want to try for her? THATS A HAPPY ENDING TO DISNEY???

It's so disgusting. I'm never watching this film and I will happily rewatch the animated original.

[neechees]

I've heard a rumor that in the New Lilo & Stitch remake, Nani gives up custody of Lilo.

[dreamsteddie]

Steve and Eddie childhood friends au where Eddie's mom, Elizabeth Munson, is hired on as Steve's nanny when Steve turns four.

Elizabeth may not have the best reputation in town, but she went to school with Linda Harrington before she threw her life and money away on Al. She was young and foolish and thought he loved her like she loved him. It hurt to be proven wrong, that he loved her modest saving account more than he could ever love her, but at the end of the day, he gave her Eddie, so she carries on.

Linda had known her from before she met Al. They weren't ever friends, but Elizabeth was from a nice lower middle-class family and had long black curls that the other girls could admire. Not popular by any means, but someone who could be partnered up with Queen Linda for a history project without heads turning. Linda also knew from health class that Elizabeth was good with kids, so it's not a complete surprise when she gets a call asking if she'd like to nanny her 4-year-old son, Steve, for the foreseeable future so she can return to work with her husband.

The Harrintons are a wealthy couple, for Hawkins Indiana at least. In the grand scheme of things Richard's position as one of many property realtors in a major corporation keeps them comfortably in the upper middle classes, but the dollar stretches almost twice as far in the sleepy parts of Indiana.

Still, to Elizabeth who has never known more than a modest three bedroom and little Eddie who has never lived outside the tin walls of the trailer park, the Harrington home seems like a mansion fit for a king.

Or in this case, a little prince.

Steve is a sweet little boy, if a little bratty the first few times Elizabeth has to tell him no. When she first comes to the house to be briefed on all Steve's needs and how the house runs, he clings to his mother's perfectly pressed skirts and looks up at him with big brown eyes that remind her so much of Eddie's, full of barely contained curiosity. It doesn't take long after she introduces himself to him, stooping down to say hi and shake his little hand, for him to lose all that shyness and start, trying, to ask her questions. He's not at a place where he can use full sentences, but he makes do with pointing and the words he does have.

It's easy to see that Linda doesn't know how to interact with Steve, telling him more than once to let the grownups talk and to stop holding her skirt. Elizabeth doesn't say anything though, it's not her place and she could really use the job. Edde is sprouting up like a weed, and her previous income from the diner wasn't enough to get him all the things he needed. The Harringtons, for all their faults, are offering her more than a fair salary to look after their son.

The next week, she brings her and Eddie bright and early to make sure they get there just as the Harringtons head off to work. Elizabeth knows Richard wasn't keen on Eddie coming with her, probably not wanting his son to associate with a child he sees as lesser, but Elizabeth quickly realized that matters of the home like childcare were left to Linda's discretion, and she hadn't seen a problem with it.

Steve is waiting for his mother on the front porch, clutching her hand as hard as he can. When Linda pries his hand away he starts to snivel and cry, but to Elizaeth's surprise, he doesn't start to wail and scream. The first time she had to leave for work Eddie just about had a complete meltdown, not understanding where his mom was going or why he had to stay with his Uncle Wayne. Steve stays quiet, muffing his cries in a way that tugs at her heartstrings.

She takes his hand and guides him inside, holding back from scooping him up in her arms like she would Eddie to sing him a song and dry his tears. Something tells him the Harringtons wouldn't appreciate that.

So he waits, watches their car depart from the open doorway, and once she's sure they're completely out of sight she swoops down to hold him in her arms. The act opens the floodgates. Steve starts really crying and wailing into her arms, asking for his mama and clutching hard at the sleeves of Elizabeth's blouse.

That's when Eddie steps in, placing his hand on Steve's shirt and rubbing clumsy circles on the younger boy's shoulder. Eddie's not five quite yet, has about four more moths to go, but he's talking much more than Steve is and seems to relish in the use of his voice. Right now he's using it to soothe Steve, telling him it's going to be ok and his mama will come back and that they can share his mama until she does.

Then he does the damnedest thing.

He starts singing.

It's the same thing she's always done for him. Every time Al comes home and leaves again, when he falls off the jungle gym at the park, when one of the kids in town points out that his shoes have holes in them and that he must be poor. She holds him close, rubs his tiny shoulder, and sings her favorite Patsy Cline song into his ear.

The three of them stay in the Harrington's entryway for as long as it takes for Steve's tears to dry out, starting this new phase of their lives to the tune of Sweet Dreams.

[radioactive-earthshine]

Impulse (1995) is a direct story about an at-risk teen in foster care, and it's not even allegorical. Some of the situations are more fantastic than anything that would really happen, but the themes and experiences of a teen in foster care mirror this story in many, many ways.

Bart was in a system of abuse and neglect in that Earthgov facility - which Iris rescued him from.

Bart was unable to live with kin (Iris and Wally) in the 20th century due to many factors, so he was placed with basically a stranger for guardianship and it was strictly supposed to be temporary.

Bart is often treated as an overly challenging or burdensome teen with behavioral issues, with some degree of truth - this is a stigma that follows a lot of teens in foster care, and is a true experience in many cases as children placed in foster homes struggle with mental health due to past trauma and neglect.

Meloni came back into Bart's life and tried to raise him but her environment was unsafe so she had to surrender her parental rights - this is also an experience those in foster care go through, sometimes multiple times.

Ableism and abuse in the foster home - while Max didn't intend to abuse Bart, he did approach him in very ableist ways which led to a neglect in the type of care Bart needed. Bart did not suffer physical abuse in Max's home, and the abuse he arguably did experience is not as severe as real life cases, it is still an experience that mirrors foster care experiences. Bart's emotional health and well-being for a good chunk of his solo was being neglected by the adults in his life as he was left to just "figure things out on his own" while he had a roof over his head. Max also made it clear on a few occasions that his role was never to raise Bart, just teach him how to use his powers. Eventually, this did subside as love grew in the home but the love was almost not enough.

Relocation - Bart was originally not given a choice about relocating upon Max's disappearance into the Speed Force, but eventually agreed to move to live with Jay and Joan. Relocating between multiple households is a very common and heartbreaking foster care experience.

Bart Allen's solo series was originally meant to be a sitcom, but Mark Waid put in the foundations for a heartbreaking story about a unique and special teenage boy navigating an alien world with adults who barely tried to understand him, and almost completely failed him.

[britannia112]

Britannia Fostering Allowance: Supporting Foster Families with Financial Assistance

Explore the fostering allowance program at Britannia Fostering, designed to provide essential financial support for foster families. Learn about the eligibility criteria, application process, and the comprehensive assistance offered to ensure the well-being of both foster parents and the children in their care. Discover how Britannia Fostering is committed to creating a nurturing environment by addressing the financial aspects of fostering, allowing families to focus on providing love and stability to children in need.

[torchflies]

Hi TG Fandom!

I love thinking about an AU where: Pete Mitchell is eight years old and used to being bounced around from foster home to orphanage to group home to foster home. An eight-year-old Pete who is scrappy and world-savvy and angry, just imagine a Maverick before he's Maverick — all that Maverick-ness balled up in this pint-sized Pillsbury biscuit can of whoop-ass. He runs the show wherever he goes with his loud mouth and sense of righteous fury. 

But then there's this new boy at the group home, this chubby nine-year-old blond boy with broken glasses held together with duct-tape and a big sweater with patches that covers his hands and half his face. He doesn't talk and spends most of the day hiding in his bed or reading an old Chemistry textbook that he brought from wherever he came from. Pete doesn't get him, thinks he's weird and the fact that the boy always looks so scared makes his tummy feel squirmy. 

So, he starts to sit next to Blondie, shares his food — basically the only thing of value he has, and starts talking, and talking, and talking and talking if only to fill up all the space that Blondie doesn't with his own words. Eventually, Blondie starts scooting closer to Pete, leans against him and starts to talk in a small whisper that only Pete can hear. 

Blondie’s name is Tommy. 

They grow up together in that group home, they bond to each other in a way they've never bonded to anyone else. They make plans to get out and join the Navy together one day, to fly; and they promise to never be apart or alone again.

Then Tommy gets adopted. 

Pete cries; Tommy screams. They might be teenagers now but it takes three men to get them to pry their hands off of each other. Tommy gets carried down the hallway howling, hands outstretched, yelling louder than Pete’s ever heard him speak before. Suddenly, the world is meaner and colder than it has ever been before and all he has left of his Blondie is that same scuffed up Chemistry textbook and a pair of broken glasses.

Pete runs away that night, glasses in his pocket and that heavy book stuffed into his backpack, but he never finds Tommy again… he finds Nicky Bradshaw instead. 

He starts to move on from the hope of ever seeing Tommy again… until Top Gun and Animal Night at the O Club, when Pete catches sight of the first boy he’s ever loved, hiding with shades on and a vodka glass in his hand, instead of a patchy sweater and a Chemistry textbook. 

Pete’s still a pint-sized Pillsbury biscuit can of whoop-ass and the world has changed them both into new people…

But when Iceman comes at him with bravado and snapping teeth, stinking of the alcohol that used to scare him when he was Tommy, regaling Maverick with tales of a father who loved a bottle more than him…

Pete reaches up to slip a little boy’s pair of broken glasses onto the blond’s face with a gentle, “Hi, Blondie.”

And Iceman crumbles away, leaving a crying Tommy in his place.

“Pete.”

He still says it the same way, like he's saying home.

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 169

Danny is from a world where everyone has wings, even if most have long since lost the ability to fly. Something about loading and aspect ratio, wings being too small, body too heavy, now mostly used as display, whatever. 

It doesn’t matter even if he had blueprints from when he was like six of a jetpack to help fly. It won’t work anyway and hey, he has his ghost form! Which uh, might be perhaps, affecting his wings which were maybe sort of scorched black and practically down to the bone thanks to the accident. 

It doesn’t matter, he swears. Though he’s admittedly relieved to see the new feathers growing in are different from Dan’s angry sunset. Even if they’re not even supposed to be able to grow back. Alright, this is fine, no one is going to notice! It’s not like everyone knows about the poor Fenton kid whose wings were absolutely destroyed thanks to an accident! It’s fine. 

He’s not flying in a half-panic towards the Far Frozen while crying because his wings are coming back and he’s so scared. He didn’t panic and instantly fled the moment Jazz pointed them out while changing the bandages. 

He definitely didn’t trip over something while wiping away said tears and blacking out from all the stress and all of his problems that he definitely mentioned to someone and isn’t keeping a secret. Definitely. 

Hawkwoman and Hawkman would like everyone to know that neither of them were expecting a very small child to be spat out of the villain of that week’s machine that should definitely not be a portal. A very small child, maybe nine or ten, with a multitude of concerning wounds both old and fresh. Which isn’t even beginning to touch on the wings. 

Feathered, like baby down despite the gnarled scars, unlike their own metallic, with the beginning of tiny specklings like stars amidst the darker fuzz peeking from the wounded flesh. 

Who?! Who dared?! It’s (at least to the forever reincarnating duo) a literal baby! They still have down! Tiny baby fuzz! Was it the portal?! Oh this villain is going to taste their maces for causing this if that’s the case! 

The rest of the Justice League would honestly like to know what just happened and are honestly unsure on if they should stop the two…

[naggascradle]

[into-fiction]

bc so many liked my gelphie as parents headcanons and i couldn't get the idea of them out of my mind- here's one way in which our favorite witches could've acquired a tiny human:

///

It’s just past midnight when Glinda gets the call, Elphaba already sound asleep on the other side of the bed. She had just been finishing the last of her work when her phone buzzes on the table, and she’s up from her desk in a flash, pressing a soothing kiss to Elphaba’s forehead as she whispers to her to go back to sleep. 

She had already dressed down for the night, so she hastens to pull on some proper clothes and has just enough time to get a mug of tea prepared when the bouncing beams of a car’s headlights flash through the front windows. There’s a police officer walking up the porch steps when Glinda gets to the door, hoping to avoid the harsh call of the doorbell. 

“Hi,” she greets, a bit breathless as she takes in the sight. They were supposed to have more time. Significantly more time. 

“Are you Glinda Upland?” the officer checks. He’s holding a backpack in one hand while the other is resting on the shoulder of a small boy, no more than five or six years old. 

“Yes, that’s me. My wife and I were cleared for emergency foster care.”

The officer nods, nudging the boy forward a step. “This is Liir,” he introduces. The boy--Liir--looks up at Glinda with a frown, eyes narrowed with childish suspicion. It’s all too easy to see the fear that lurks behind the show of bravado. 

Glinda gives him her warmest smile. “Hello, Liir,” she says. “I’m Glinda. Would you like to come inside?”

Liir looks between the police officer and the open door several times before he finally steps forward. He’s wearing a bright green cast on one arm, his left cheek dusted by a purple bruise, one of what is likely many to be found peppering his small body. 

It isn’t fair. Glinda knows that abuse is a common reason for children to end up in foster care, but it still hurts her to see the signs. Children are so small. So vulnerable. Who could do such a thing to them?

The officer hands over the small backpack, asking Glinda to sign a few papers before letting her know that she’ll receive more information in the morning. All she knows for now is that Liir is six years old and was removed from his father’s care. 

“Don’t worry,” Glinda finds herself saying. “I’ll take care of him.”

She looks down at the little boy as he watches the officer leave. His hair is a tangled mess that falls around his face, his clothes worn and dirty. He must be so tired, so confused by what is happening. She has been told this is the hardest part- full of tears and questions and pleas for things that Glinda cannot give. 

“Alright, Liir,” Glinda says, trying to be as upbeat as she can for nearly one in the morning. “It looks like you’re going to be staying with me and my wife, Elphaba, for a little while. She’s asleep upstairs right now.”

The boy turns and looks up at her with deep green eyes, a mossy color not unlike her wife’s. They shift after a moment to take in the house, lit by lamps that cut golden circles of light into the shadows. It must be terrifying being suddenly dumped in the arms of strangers. 

“Hey,” she says softly. She crouches down so she can meet the boy face to face. “I know it’s scary. But you are safe here, Liir. No one here will ever hurt you.”

She holds her hand out slowly, letting it hang in the air patiently as she waits to see if Liir will initiate contact. The little boy looks utterly exhausted, and she’s sure he’s had a very long night. All she wants is to gather him in her arms and tuck him into bed, clean and warm and cozy. 

Several long seconds pass, Glinda’s arm growing tired being held out like this, but she waits, expression open and smile kind. She’ll wait as long as he needs until-- there. Liir takes a tiny step toward her, hand reaching out to slip into Glinda’s own. 

Glinda closes her fingers and runs a soothing thumb across Liir’s knuckles. “Tell you what,” she says. “How about we get you a bath and some warm jammies, and then you can pick out what bed you want to sleep in. How does that sound?”

Liir nods, not saying anything as he shuffles a little closer. He sniffles slightly, eyelashes wet when he blinks, and Glinda gives his hand a gentle squeeze. 

“It’s okay, baby. I’ve got you,” Glinda promises. “I’ve got you, Liir.”

[curtis-brothers-hug]

The tragedy - or more accurately, the socioeconomic and class injustice - of the Curtis’ situation is that Darry is an unfit guardian, but there are no better options.

Ideally, Soda and Ponyboy would be better off in the custody of a loving, financially stable, adult family. But there would be basically a one in a million chance of that happening. Abuse is rampant in the foster care system even now, let alone in the 1960s.

I imagine they would know kids from the east side who are in the system or who have been. Maybe even Dally was at one point. I imagine that while Darry is desperately trying to decide what to do after his parents’ death that he would think of those kids, or hear from them. He would be talking to some other greasers about his dilemma in the wake of his parents’ death - that maybe giving up custody would be the best thing for his brothers, that they should have a chance to be adopted by people who are much more equipped to care for them - and someone who’s been in the system would tell Darry in no uncertain terms that it would NOT be best. Maybe they would tell stories, maybe they would refuse to elaborate. Maybe they’d show him their scars, maybe they’d leave Darry to figure out on his own what they won’t talk about that didn’t leave scars.

Darry knows he’s probably not the best choice to take care of Soda and Ponyboy, but he also knows that a good choice doesn’t realistically exist. The choices for his baby brothers are either an unfit guardian who loves them, or an unfit guardian who doesn’t.