[blparent] Therapist seeking help

Tue Oct 30 18:59:07 UTC 2012

"Parenting Without Sight" is a great starting point.  Another idea would be 
to contact a National Federation of the Blind (NFB) or American Council for 
the Blind (ACB) chapter in your area, so that the father could actually meet 
or speak with local blind moms and dads who are parenting successfully.  You 
might also contact Through the Looking Glass at www.lookingglass.org.  It's 
an organization that offers legal help and other kinds of assistance to 
families where a parent or child is disabled.  Looking Glass can tell the 
father how to set up his living space for a successful home study, which 
will probably be part of the process of getting his child into the family. 
Also, search the Internet.  I did when my family wanted to take my child 
away before she was born, and there's a whole body of evidence, including 
magazine articles and other writings, about how blind parents navigate the 
ins and outs of raising kids.  The most compelling ones, in my opinion, are 
those that take the long view, showing that children of capable blind 
parents grow up to be well-adjusted adults.  Also, although the pregnancy 
and infancy courses from the Hadley School for the Blind are probably 
irrelevant for the father at this point, since the child is already here and 
no longer a baby, the course about preschoolers might help him a lot.  He 
can get a certificate saying that he has taken that course, which might 
carry weight with the courts or Social Services.

The right thing needs to happen in this case.  Please ask any question you 
or the father has, and I'm sure people will be glad to help.  The bottom 
line is that blindness alone should not be a justifiable reason to keep a 
father from taking his child into his home.

Jo Elizabeth

Truth is tough. It will not break, like a bubble, at a touch; nay, you may 
kick it about all day like a football, and it will be round and full at 
evening.--Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
-----Original Message----- 
From: Brandy Wojcik
Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2012 12:22 PM
To: 'Blind Parents Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [blparent] Therapist seeking help

You would be great to be armed with the Parenting without sight publication.
You can get it at www.nfb.org

Yes it can be done as you state!

-----Original Message-----
From: blparent [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Peggy
Taylor
Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2012 1:12 PM
To: blparent at nfbnet.org
Subject: [blparent] Therapist seeking help

I am a family therapist working with a father with limited vision.  His son
is in foster care because of issues related to the mother's care of the boy.
The father has not been an active parent because of the relationship with
the mother.   He is hoping to have his son reintegrated into his home.

The first case manager involved with the family dismissed him as a primary
caretaker for the child.  Fortunately, the current case manager is open to
this outcome.   My concern is that other parties involved in deciding on
reintegration for this family may not see him as a viable parent.  I hope to
be prepared to counter that skepticism with  solid information to the
contrary.

I joined your list serve in the hope that you will share information about
the strengths of blind parents and about how blind parents are able to
effectively parent their children.  I know this happens regularly as a close
friend in grade school was the daughter of two blind parents and their home
was one of my favorite hang outs.  But I would like to have more than  my
anecdotal experience to counter any resistance this father may face from
uninformed skeptics.

I really appreciate any help you can offer!!

Thanks!

Peggy

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