A Resolution, finally!

So, y'all remember about the stolen game system? I can't find a post about it so it might be pre-blog. Actually I think it was. We did respite for this fifteen year old boy and his older brother whom he had not seen for years had permission to visit. They didn't seem to know what to say to each other, and I left them alone in the rec room to play video games together. After they left we discovered that Andrew's Nintendo DS and half a dozen games had been stolen.

I filled out a police report and bought Andrew a used one and some used games. I kept the report and the receipt and asked the social worker if they had a fund to reimburse that, trying to be clear that I understood if the answer was no. I didn't hear anything.

Later I asked another worker who said she would check. I didn't hear anything.

Last year at our re-licensing visit I was asked if I had any complaints and I said that the only thing I was upset about was no one answering the question. I would be okay if the answer was no, but I didn't like not getting an answer. She never got back to me.

This past spring the supervisor of workers asked if the same boy could come for respite and I said no. Hearing the firmness in my voice she asked if I had any special reason why. I explained that he was the kid whose brother stole from us. She asked me if we were ever reimbursed for that. I said no. She said that wasn't right and she would look into it for me. Guess what happened? Right, nothing.

It annoyed me because I hadn't even brought it up this time.

So and my re-licensing visit this year when I was asked if I had any complaints. I again mentioned that no one had given me an answer. I think I showed a degree of frustration as I explained that it really was okay if the answer was no, but that I didn't like that people kept saying that they would check and then didn't answer. I told her that I expected the answer to be no now because I didn't have the police report number or any receipts. Off-handedly I said something about maybe just getting one for Gary and calling it even.

I just got an email from her. She said that she had been authorized to reimburse me for the replacement of the DS and games, but she had to have a receipt. "So if you were serious about being willing to buy Gary one, that would work."

So I just asked Gary if he wanted a Nintendo DS.

"Why?" He looked cautious, wondering what the catch was, but clearly interested.

I explained.

"Wow. Yeah. Wow!" He laughs. "Man, I am getting SO SPOILED here."