I met up with my foster care mentee for lunch today to find out that since her foster mom disappeared to the Dominican Republic for a secret vacation away from her and her foster dad and sister that she’s come back depressed and is refusing to leave her bed. My mentee gets cash to buy food, clothes, or supplies that she needs, but she doesn’t have any support system anymore. Her foster dad is always working and rarely home, and her foster sister is no longer on speaking terms with her, mostly because she’s jealous of how well my mentee has been doing in school (she herself dropped out of college and refuses to go back).

I sat there and listened to her tell me about her situation at lunch, and hoped that her social worker could get involved to intervene, but I wasn’t sure what else to offer other than my ear. I couldn’t really intervene myself, and she just needs someone supportive in her life to talk to. I wonder in these situations if her venting to me actually helps her, or if she really does see me as a supportive, role model type figure in her life. It’s hard for me to see any tangible or measurable benefits, but since she keeps messaging me to see me, I guess I must be having some impact, even if it’s tiny?