Looks like Child Abuse but ...

in #fostercare7 years ago (edited)

We fostered infants for ten yearss. We've seen a lot. We've heard stories that that nightmares are made of and are suffered by small children.

One night we were brought a 7 month old baby girl. Once the caseworker left I began to change her for a bath when I suddenly saw bruising all over her backside. Nobody told me she had been beaten and covered in bruises. I had been told she was brought to us from a previous foster home because they had a family emergency and that she had been in their home for awhile. I had been told she previad a family emergency and that she had been in their home for awhile.

I called the caseworker and she called the previous home ecause the yprious home. The home told the case worker the bruises were there before they received her from the hospital. Initially my thoughts were that the previous home had caused the bruising.

Turns out the markings were not actual bruises but Mongolian Spots.

These spots are not uncommon on Bi-Racial children. The easiest way to describe them is to refer to them as a type of birthmark.

I relized that I would need to explain the markings to any nursery worker that I took her too so they would know she wasn't covered in bruises.

It's unfortunate her paperwork did not inform me of this nor had I been educated to realize these markings were more than likely not bruises. We spent a few hours
on the phone to discover that it was not child abuse after all.
It is so important that if you foster, be sure to document with pictures because you don't want Child Protective Services knocking on your door for something you didnt do."
Had a church nursery worker seen the marks and had I not had knowledge and documentation that the marks were Mongolian spots then they could of called CPS on me and CPS may of removed the baby from the nursery, taken her to the hospital and then investigated us and that would be very very invasive for my family and can be traumatic for the child.

This is also important for any family, foster or non foster to have medical paperwork on hand at all times for any questionable marks or conditions to prevent misunderstandings and removal of your child/children.

Although she had not been removed for the appearance of bruising. She had been removed because her parent tried to suffocate her with a pillow.

We learned from that experience to look the baby over and take pictures upon arrival in the presence of the caseworker. We only fostered newborns so it wasn't as invasive for them as it might be for an older child but it is important for your protection to know as much as you can about the physical and emotional condition of the child that comes into your care.

It is so important that if you foster, be sure to document with pictures because you don't want Child Protective Services knocking on your door for something you didnt do."
Had a church nursery worker seen the marks and had I not had knowledge and documentation that the marks were Mongolian spots then they could of called CPS on me and CPS may of removed the baby from the nursery, taken her to the hospital and then investigated us and that would be very very invasive for my family and can be traumatic for the child.

This is also important for any family, foster or non foster to have medical paperwork on hand at all times for any questionable marks or conditions to prevent misunderstandings and removal of your child/children.

Although she had not been removed for the appearance of bruising. She had been removed because her parent tried to suffocate her with a pillow.

We learned from that experience to look the baby over and take pictures upon arrival in the presence of the caseworker. We only fostered newborns so it wasn't as invasive for them as it might be for an older child but it is important for your protection to know as much as you can about the physical and emotional condition of the child that comes into your care.

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Oh wow. That is crazy to learn about these spots. I'm sure it was shocking to see that at first. I would have blamed the home before for sure! Sad that her parents were pretty crazy. :(

I'm pretty sure that the Social Workers lied to you when they told you that the mother tried to suffocate her baby with a pillow.
Social Workers are liars and kidnappers.

Please read the post that I made a couple of days ago.
This loving mother was accused of throwing her baby out of a window.
She was set up and lied about and it completely destroyed her.
Then her baby was adopted out to another mother.

https://steemit.com/familyprotection/@canadian-coconut/when-kidnapped-children-get-adopted-familyprotection-series-tammy-s-story

But you are right that you had better be careful not to be accused of something yourself over someone not understanding those birth marks. There are many stories of foster parents losing their own children because the Social Workers turn on them.
I would NEVER ever let those monsters into my home without a Court Order. Once you let them in, they will manipulate and twist everything that you say and do into an excuse to kidnap your children.