Week 4! It’s hard to leave all those moments behind…
Tuesday morning I headed to FH. In the early evening, I interviewed Jilly outside in the grass. I got some pretty shots in the shade/sun and I hope the mic didn’t pick up and airplane, car, or bird sounds. Jilly talked about her experiences as a foster sister and described a little about each foster kid we have had. She was a little nervous about being in front of the camera (she’s only 10), but she adjusted easily. Then I spent some time researching, mainly about social workers because my interview with Ro’s social worker was the next day.
Wednesday morning was my interview with Ro’s current social worker. I had never met her before because my mom usually kicks the rest of us kids out of the house when she comes so they can focus and do the check quickly. Her name is Ellen and she did the “home safety check” and then a short interview with me. During a check, she brings a clipboard which she scribbles notes on and asks my mom a few questions. The questions are usually about how Ro is doing, how his case is going, how he interacts with the family and Bob and Debra, and how is he is doing medically/physically. She also checks his room to make sure everything looks good and safe in there. Ellen always brings a new book (always one with African American characters) and reads with him. My mom plays with him while they talk so Ellen can observe for herself how he is really doing.
After the check, my mom took Ro upstairs and I interviewed Ellen. She has been doing this for a while and gave a great description of the kinds of things she does for her job. She also described how social workers have a very different, much calmer job than that of CPS (Child Protective Services) employees. She, like everyone else I’ve met (involved in foster care) so far, emphasized at the end of the interview how the state is in need of families. I was very thankful for her interview.
In the late afternoon, I interviewed Mindy in her room. She had told me that she was really excited to do her interview and be in my movie, but once I got her in front of the camera, she became very quiet. She didn’t elaborate very much on her answers. I asked her about it and she said she “felt too much pressure.” I tried to make her as comfortable as possible and eventually got some good dialogue out of her, but I don’t think I’ll be using much of her interview in the final film.
My interview with my mom has been postponed because she’s having some kind of allergic reaction. Her right eye is very red and swollen and she hasn’t been feeling well at all. It’s a shame because today (Thursday) is her birthday.
Friday I will return to Oly.
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