15 years ago, I started a job I knew very little about. I loved children and wanted to help make the world, or at least their own little version of it, better. I was bright-eyed and wearing rose-colored glasses to what the reality of most of my days would be.
15 years ago, I didn’t know that I would sit in an emergency room and hold the hand of a young child whose parent had just overdosed.
15 years ago, I didn’t know I would sit on the floor of a bathroom with a mom going through withdraws and tell her how strong she was. Promising to help her through it.
15 years ago, I didn’t know that I would reunify children to parents who were at the most very bottom of what life can be. Homeless. Addicted. Broken. That I would reunify these kids almost two years later to parents who were now strong, stable and healed.
15 years ago, I didn’t know that I would interview a child who had been raped. Then go home and sob as I rocked my newborn baby girl to sleep.
15 years ago, I didn’t know that I would be threatened, cursed at, harassed.
15 years ago, I didn’t know that I would get to sit in a courtroom and know I was partially responsible for the child about to be adopted.
15 years ago, I didn’t know that I would spend hours and hours away from my husband and children, to help take care of others. I didn’t know that I would talk to detectives while on vacation with my family. I didn’t know I would spend hours upon hours testifying in court and praying that I had truly done everything in my power to help.
I didn’t know, but I do now.
I know that at night, child welfare workers don’t sleep because we are worrying about the kid who ran away and if they are safe or not. I know that we give up precious time with our own children, to ensure the children on our caseloads know we are there no matter what. I know now that child welfare workers/social workers are some of the strongest minded people on this planet, but that doesn’t mean we won’t fall.
March is Social Work Appreciation Month, but most aren’t aware. You don’t see ads on TV offering us free Chipotle burritos or other acts of thanks. 15 years ago I might have believed this is what I and my co-workers need… I know now that we don’t need the praise or the acknowledgment because when you run into a family/youth 10 years later who calls out your name and wants to chat, it’s everything. When a kiddo on our caseload texts us just to say hi, we feel the worth of what we are doing. When a mom whose children you removed permanently comes to let you know they are now doing ok, and it’s because of you, the hard parts just seem less hard!
Being a social worker is often hard and thankless, but it is so rewarding and a profession I’m proud to be a part of!
