In truth, I had the fun job. I was in charge of the rec program, which most foster care agencies don't have, but we were trying to keep the kids socializing with peers going through the same things. I lead groups, activities, outings and supervised the one-on-one 'Youth Advocates'. I also did a lot of 1-on-1 stuff too. Most of the time I played sports, games, built soap box derby racers, directed plays, printed t-shirts and went on hikes. I used to take kids to the museums, aquarium and movies all the time. If it wasn't for the incredibly depressing shit, it was the best job ever. I took kids to Six Flags, Great Wolf Lodge, Hershey Park, and Disney World as a school reward for good grades. And I got to do whatever I wanted with my department budget for the year so long as certain things were covered, so we let the kids choose some pretty cool stuff. The budget was shit, but begging stores and activity type places is easier than you'd think when it's kids with disabilities.
I felt bad for the Case Managers (Social Workers) they dealt with all the shit and got to do none of the fun stuff. I covered a lot of the terrible situations, but at least half of my time was really fun.
