In the summer of 1967, soon after taking up my post in Kingston Children’s Department as an Assistant Child Care Officer I found myself, for one reason or another, the only fieldworker in the agency.
My senior told me that with no experience, I had earned my post by selection from more than 100 other applicants. Although there had never been a time in my life when there was not a child, for example a younger sibling, for me to learn from, and I was now a single parent, I was surprised to be thought qualified.
A good and experienced Child Care Officer, Morlais Thomas, had provided me with the only training in adoption assessment that I was to receive. I had asked him to tell me what areas I should be examining. It is no fabrication for me to state that he wrote a series of headings on the back of an envelope. They were in fact very comprehensive and stood me in good stead as I set about my task.
Throughout my professional career I will refrain from providing any identifying detail of clients, but offer enough to indicate the nature of the work, early examples of which include matching, vetting, placement, and removal.
I was inundated by responses to an advertisement I placed in a local newspaper that was taken up and circulated nationally by a newshound of the paper. One elderly woman who must have had some knowledge of wartime evacuation offered to meet children at her local railway station if they bore notices of their names. After lengthy narrowing of the scope someone who already knew the subject took up the placement. One child who had languished in a children’s home for many years was eventually provided with missing history and successfully placed; but not before I had felt obliged to remove him from the first prospective adoptees.
In those days the local authority had the role of guardian ad litem as appointed by the court to look after a child who was the subject of adoption, and was required to present a report on this. On one occasion I was offered a bribe to support an application which I opposed.
Over the years subsequent legislation has provided for advances to backs of envelopes, and qualifications for the task. I was to become a consultant for various agencies and to chair two adoption and one fostering panels – systems which were to take decades to evolve. More will follow on these in due course.
It’s fortunate the Children’s Department had such a caring individual in you for the back-of-envelope standards position. ?
Thank you so much, Merril
You’re very welcome.
For several years in the eighties I was a foster carer and saw how the process worked and the challenges facing the social workers. I shall follow this period of your life with very great interest, Derrick.
Thank you so much, Sandra
That must been a difficult job Derrick.
Sorry, I mean must have been.
It was. Thanks very much, Arlene
Getting bribed to change your opinion is terrible -yet it happens so often.
Yes – but I’m pretty impervious to that. Thanks very much, Bridget
Good!
My mother worked as an adoption caseworker for hard-to-place babies. Particularly challenging were babies born with HIV or addicted to crack.
Thanks very much, Liz. Later you will see I also worked with hard to place children
You’re welcome, Derrick. I’ll be very interested in reading about your experiences.
I have both family and friends who were adopted as babies. It is interesting how they have come to terms with this over the years. What a difficult area of human nature to be involved in!
It was – and so necessary for me. Thanks very much, Anne
I’ll echo the others. A tough job. Wonderful that you were chosen over so many applicants!
It was a bit of a surprise – I hadn’t even told my very nice insurance company boss, because I thought this was just exploratory 🙂 Thanks very much, Laurie
How interesting that you were able to see and be involved in developments in this area.
Thanks a lot, Sheree
I think it would be hard to find good homes that are right for all parties involved.
It was, indeed, Mrs W. Thank you very much
Your welcome.
From small beginnings, you grew in experience and influence.
Thanks very much, Rosaliene. That is the hope.
But did you accept the bribe? 🙂 What a difficult job.
i was thinking that Chaucer should have had The Castle’s Tale. Knights, castles, you know.
I sat in his soft chair and accepted a sherry. Nice play with your name, Luanne 🙂
Hah! Make the most of the moment, right?
This is a subject very close to my heart, Derrick. It is fascinating that 22 years after the end of the war there were still children misplaced by it. How did that happen?
I am fully aware of the history and current function of the US Department of Children and Families, but ignorant of the British system, of course. It is quite instructive to learn from an insider’s experience.
Thank you very much, Dolly. You would have been very familiar with American practices – I will add more of ours as I go along.
You are very welcome, Derrick. I am looking forward to future installments.
I am sure you gave your utmost and did a wonderful job. I am not sure that hiring and training has advanced that much here when it comes to child services, and sadly there is no oversight of those on the frontline. So glad that you were a part of making your service work better for the children involved.
Thank you very much, AnneMarie – especially for adding your perspective
I hope you don’t take my comment as a reflection on all of Canada. I was talking specifically about Saskatchewan.
Thanks again. Understood
Thank you for doing that work and for making a positive difference! It’s so interesting to read about! I look forward to the more to follow posts.
I have 2 relatives that were adopted as infants. Their stories are fascinating.
(((HUGS))) 🙂
Thank you so much, Carolyn
A bit mystifying and I’m happy it worked out successfully.
Thanks very much, Pat
You held a very important job, Derrick, one that involved lives. I am not surprised you were chosen for this position, and without question, I know you were one of the very best.
Thank you so much, Lavinia
Having spent all my life dealing with children I can not imagine the stress that being involved full time with the adoption world would be. I wouldn’t have envied you Derrick.
Thank you very much, John. Each of us chose our own way of doing what we could for them.
Oh, my Derrick. I cannot imagine the decisions you would have had to made in that position. And, I am guessing, quite a bit of worry and hard thoughts about those decisions both before and after. I’m sure you were perfect for the job – even with only an envelope to guide you.
My youngest daughter has just begun a new position counseling prisoners who will soon be released – trying to get them ready for life out of prison. She’s impressed because the first 2 weeks are pure training – including CPR. So things have progressed from your day, surely.
That is good, Jodie. Thank you very much
<3
I’m sure not an easy job!
Thanks a lot, Ribana