Idea for Jackie

So I spoke to Jackie and Mandy about her placement. I made an offer that they are both excited about.

Here's some of the background, Jackie is not and is not going into the permanency program. Sometimes she says it is because she did not want to leave Mandy, which is certainly true; and sometimes she says it was because she has too many run-aways, which would be a serious consideration, but would not necessarily keep her out.

In any case she and Mandy and John and all very attached.

I have seen any number of kids fall apart in the last few months before their 18th birthday. Jackie will be 18 in 5 months. Right now she is getting along fine with Mandy and John, but having trouble getting along with Nancy and the third girl there.

So this is what I offered: unlimited respite and retreat.

I told Mandy that it would break my heart if she blew out of there like Georgia did. I wanted to do whatever I could to help it to work. If Jackie needs a break or if she needs to "run away" she can come here. Both of them were thrilled at this idea. Hubby is fine with it too.

I think we all feel that Jackie belongs with Mandy and John, and that the biggest danger is whether she will explode in a fight with the girls.

Nancy was fine here, by the way. She mostly slept. I am not surprised she did not give me any trouble. Her version of the story was that Annabelle made a scene and publically humiliated her. She can really only maintain the story that Annabelle was the unreasonable one if I report that she was just fine with me.

Annabelle dropped off the third girl here this morning to be picked up with the other two by Mandy at 10:00. I know she is supposed to have got into lots of trouble, but she is a sad little thing. She is only 14, her mother is running and wanted by the police. She (the mom) is likely to spend time in jail if she is caught. The girl has a two-year-old brother in another foster home. She brightened up when she told me about him. She said that she raised him, which I don't doubt, and that "if she is good" she might get to go live in the same house that he is in.

It is just enough to break your heart.