Ryther - Healthy Children, Stronger Families

An open letter from Sheila to her foster son at the time, DJ, after she had first met him (view DJ’s full story here):

Dear DJ,

It was a beautiful sunny Saturday. You were dressed like a little old man, in your khaki pants and white polo shirt. Running up the front steps, coat flying behind, your first words to me were “You got any kids?” Unhappy with my answer, you blew past me into the house.

In the house you moved so fast. Inspecting everything, touching the next thing before your last “What is this?” was answered. You were fascinated with the tulips I had growing in a pot.

At dinner you said “Maybe I could live here.” I asked you why you might want to live with me. Your answer is etched in my mind: “It smells fresh in here, and you have those ‘twinkle lights,’ and ‘this,’” holding up an oversized paper clip.

That night you tried everything in your arsenal of kid tactics to convince me you should be able to watch an inappropriate movie, including your now infamous argument, “I’m a grown man.” When that proved unsuccessful, you tilted your head away from me, with tears in your eyes, and said you hated me.

Looking as though you were testing the words for the first time, you simply puffed them in the air. I couldn’t help but smile.

That was the moment I knew…I had fallen in love, and we were going to be just fine!

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If you or someone you know are interested in becoming a foster parent, please consider joining us at a free foster parent information session every first Monday of the month at 6pm on Ryther’s main campus. Call 206.517.0273 ext. 11 for more information or visit this page.

Cutting a budget whether you are a family, a business or a government is never easy. I know because I have had to do it on two of these categories. Some think making a flat percentage cut across the board some how makes not making decisions both easy, fair and right. It may be easy but it is neither fair or right. It assumes you have no values driven principles or priorities. It suggests that you don’t want to do the work or take responsibility for the results.

Presently the Washington legislature is considering a budget with a 20% across the board to DSHS’ Children’s Administration service called Behavioral Rehabilitation Services (BRS). This pays for care of the State’s most damaged and vulnerable children, like the children at Ryther. Not serving these children will not mean they magically get better or that they won’t be just as costly immediately as a result. However, they do represent a small percentage of the total number of children in care so I suppose one could suggest that no one will notice or care. These children do not scare people on street corners, they don’t vote and they have very few people who will speak for them.

Any government that suggests that the needs of these children are somehow less important than the needs of others is abrogating its responsibility. BRS has been severely cut and reduced over the years. A 20% will gut the program and abandon a lot of children and it will not save money in the either the near term or long term.

Please help us at Ryther speak up for these kids. Let your legislators and the Governor know that seldom is the easy way the best way by calling, emailing or writing a letter. Find your legislators here: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/Default.aspx.