by aem

Created on: March 13, 2009

A pale woman with a flowy skirt, big glasses, and high energy greets me as I walk into Parson's Children and Family Services. "I'm so glad you found us!" she exclaims in a bright and cheerful voice, and gracefully runs out to shake my hand. After spending nearly an hour trying to direct me through Albany's confusing side streets, she simply remarks, "Sign in here, and then follow the hallway down to the meeting room". "Ya can't miss it", she adds with a grin.

Walking through the room that resembles a waiting room then passing a small toy room on your right, I wonder if this is a Doctor's office, rather than an administrative building. As I approach the meeting room, I pass framed signs of families hugging asking for "More African American adoptive parents", and happy children giggle behind "Foster children need you" posters. The turnout is surprising. I figure perhaps 20 or even 25 families would show up to this once a month orientation session for foster-care interest. Barely 5 are seated around the conference table. A large smiley woman named Cheryl Parker holds the attention of the room, and offers me a Fig Newton.
A 40ish man with a robot t-shirt starts off the introductions by proclaiming how he wants an "8 year old girl". He has "a big house all to himself", and he proudly adds, "there are good schools around me." His speech impediment is distracting, and he brags about a trust fund and an arrest record he no longer remembers "It's too long." When asked if they accept people with arrest records, the smiley woman responds, "We give you the benefit of the doubtwe believe people can change."
A blonde woman who doesn't seem to belong at this meeting explains how she is from Niskayuna, and wants to foster a baby then hopefully adopt her. She seems too wealthy in comparison to the rest of the group. The other middle class couple realizes mid-session that they are in the wrong group, and explains how they wanted to adopt an international baby, not a foster child. "Parson's is always looking for foster parents for older children", pipes in Cheryl. However, Robot t-shirt believes "fostering an older child is tough, age eight or nine is better so you can mold the child."
A lady in all black explains how she is "looking to expand her family". She takes a "single applicant" application, and explains how she was a foster mother in another area. She remains quiet during the entire session.
The last couple is from Schenectady, and the most vocal. They have two children already (from past relationships), but they are looking to expand their family, temporarily. The Caucasian wife confidently adds, "and my husband was a foster-care child". "It's okay honey" she soothes, as her African American husband hides shyly behind her. He then grins, showing off his missing front tooth. During the session, he's mostly worried about his recent arrest record that may be against him in his application. "Not that many fail background checks," smiley Cheryl replies.
In fact, only a 1/3 that attend the first session are not approved as foster parents. While background checks should be the strongest restraint, "time", "postponements", "one lady was in the process of moving", and "a couple others just didn't feel like doing it anymore" are the main reasons people didn't become foster parents. Cheryl grins and then boasts, "Most people who go through the application and information sessions are approved."
I exit the information session wondering if spending time in jail is a prerequisite to becoming a foster-care parent.

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