Let me offer you another perspective....that from a former Foster Kid.

I grew up in the foster care system and had alot of contact with CPS workers, because technically they are supposed to meet with their cases at least once a month.

Some CPS workers were wonderful. These were the ones who told me the truth, were reliable, listened to me, helped get me what I needed, and showed up at least monthly.

The crappy workers dumped me off at a foster home and I could not get in contact with them, barely heard from them, never knew what was happening, and they never made a visit.

The burn-out rate is high. So kids get new workers all the time. This really affects us. So, when workers leave, they have an affect on the kids...and most don't care. They just are tired and done.

It is a VERY difficult job. You will have a large case-load 17-20 cases. The kids are tough. They come from terrible situations and all they want is to go home. All I wanted was to go home, no matter how bad it was.
The kids have behavioral problems, ranging from simple things like cursing to severe problems like sexual acting out.

There are not enough foster homes, so it takes alot of work to find a place . And for the more difficult kids, it can take ALOT.

Do you love kids?
Do you want to help kids who have nothing else?
Can you be reliable and trustworthy?
Can you listen to the good and the bad?
Can you recognize that the kids are only reacting to the circumstances that they were raised in?
Can you deal with seeing bruises and skinny kids?
Can you deal with low pay and long hours?

If you answered yes to the above, go for it. To this day, I send cards to 2 workers I had because they helped change my life, by just caring, listening and fighting for the best for me.

It is a very hard but very rewarding job. You can touch a kid's life more than you know.

PM me if you want more details.