Vol. 2, No. 2 • Spring 1998

What Would You Do?
Ronny: Summary and
Response
by Joanne Caye and John McMahon

In this column in the last issue, we asked for your help.
We presented you with a fictional case example involving
Ronny, a 12-year-old foster child who was suspended for
bringing a sexual device to school. Then we asked you what
you would do if you were faced with a similar situation.

To the readers who called our Fostering Perspectives comment line to share your thoughts and expertise, we offer a big "Thank you!" We have taken many of your suggestions and integrated them into our suggestions for handling this case. We've also included another fictional scenario "What Would You Do? Shane." After reading it over, we hope you'll share your expertise with us. E-mail: [email protected].

Ronny: Summary and Response
Ronny is 12 and has been in the Davis foster home for 2 years. A marginal student, he needs constant encouragement to go to school, get all assignments done, etc. He has not gotten into big trouble at school, although the teachers become frustrated with him because he gives up easily, and seldom speaks in class.

Ron visits his mother regularly. After a recent visit, unbeknownst to the Davis's, Ron brought a sexual device back to the foster home. He thought it was pretty funny, and with typical 12-year-old judgment, put it in his bookbag and chased some girls with it. The principal quickly learned that Ronny brought the device to school and suspended him for two months.

Mrs. Davis was distraught at the decision. Ronny would only get farther behind. He's not a bad kid.

The Davis's have asked their social worker for help--they want her to go with them to school and appeal this ruling. So far they have not been able to reach her, and as the days go by, Ronny gets more and more used to being home. The Davis's aren't sure what to do now. The school is very strict about dealing with guardians only. What would you do? What would you want to tell the Davis family?

In response to the Davis's situation, Alice Johnson, a foster parent from Pitt County, feels that the problem lies with Ronny's biological mother. She emphasizes the importance of good communication between mother and son during visits and suggests that the very fact that the sexual device was in the birth mother's house indicates that she is not fully committed to getting her son back. Ms. Johnson also questions the mother's parenting skills, asking, "does she really need to have regular visits with her son if she's not checking his bag and making sure everything is in order before he leaves?"

Ms. Johnson feels that the solution to Ronny's current suspension may also lie with his mother. She suggests that the Davis's, perhaps through Ronny's social worker, enlist his birth mother's help in working with the school administration. "If (Ronny) can visit, then (the birth mother) needs to attend the school and help this child be reinstated so that Ronny can see that his mom does have an active part in his life, even though he's not able to live with her at the present time."

Another option would be for the Davis's to persist with the agency. Since they have had trouble getting in touch with Ronny's social worker, they should not hesitate to contact his or her supervisor for help.

Still another possibility would be for the Davis's to contact Ronny's Guardian ad Litem. Since they are having a problem with being heard by the school, consulting with the GAL--whose primary task to be Ronny's advocate--seems a natural step.

Joanne Caye and John McMahon work at the Jordan Institute for Families, part of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Social Work.

Copyright � 2000 Jordan Institute for Families