According to Kids Count Data Center, there are more than 407k children and youth in foster care in the United States today. For them, living without a permanent family is a tremendous challenge that can affect their development and well-being, so it’s crucial to offer them some sense of stability. Thankfully, many adults open their homes and hearts to these poor little souls and get help from dedicated social workers who ensure they would meet kids’ needs.

Like Redditor vorrhin. Being passionate about her job, this woman goes to great lengths to build close relationships with the foster children she visits monthly. Sometimes, that includes jumping through hoops and finding creative ways to manage bewildering obstacles to her work. So a few days ago, vorrhin shared a story on the ‘Malicious Compliance’ subreddit about precisely such an event that took an unexpectedly wholesome turn.

One of the families she looks after has a swimming pool that the little ones couldn’t stop talking about, so the user was looking forward to some quality bonding time with them in the water. Unfortunately, her supervisor quickly shattered all hopes by saying that “it would be unprofessional of me to wear a swimsuit on the job.” But instead of letting the kids down, the woman came up with the best possible solution to the problem. Read on for the whole story and tell us what you think about it in the comments!

Recently, a social worker was told by her supervisor that “it would be unprofessional” of her to bond with the foster children she visits by playing in the pool in a swimsuit

Image credits: Anna Shvets (not the actual photo)

But instead of leaving the kids disappointed, the woman found a wholesome way to follow the rule

Image credits: Marisa Howenstine (not the actual photo)

With dozens of thousands of children in foster care in the US alone, a lot of work needs to be done to ensure that every child is safe and cared for. After all, families welcome these children into their homes due to a myriad of situations. It could be because of neglect, a gone parent, or their guardians being ill and unable to take care of the little ones. The whole goal of the foster care system is to provide care for the young ones until they can safely return to their families or find other permanent situations, such as being adopted into another family or placed with their relatives.

According to a private nonprofit organization TFI, foster kids can be as young as toddlers and as old as college-age students. And when it comes to the amount of time they can stay in the system, giving an exact number is a bit complicated because every child has different needs. It depends on a variety of factors, and the stay can range anywhere from one month to nine years. However, TFI stated that, on average, a child typically stays with their foster family for about thirteen months. More than a fifth of these kids only remain in the system for one to five months. “According to national statistics, only 3% of children intend to stay with a foster family for an extended period. Additionally, older foster children often remain with a family until they are legally able to be emancipated.” But it’s a different situation for children who are waiting to be adopted, their average stay usually lasts two years.

During the fostering journey, the social worker is a pillar who helps and supports the families in any way they need. Their primary focus is to look after the health and well-being of the children, and they passionately work to find them the most caring and loving temporary homes where they could feel secure. Social workers are faced with many challenges and different tasks, from checking in on the children and their new families and helping them acclimate to their new situation, to providing advice and mental health counseling to figure out any troubling feelings they may have. As TFI explained, 55% of foster children are waiting to be reunited with their parents. They may be angry, worried, and anxiously waiting to be together with their mom and dad again. Foster parents and social workers play a huge role in making sure they are cared for. And that sometimes means coming up with the most creative solutions to bring some joy to the kids’ lives. Just like diving headfirst into a pool in your office attire.

Redditors applauded the user for her efforts, and some even chimed in with their own experiences

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