Chapter 9 - Eric Dalton
Amanda’s former boyfriend agreed to speak with investigators later.
I met him only once.
Public office.
Lawyers.
Eric was thirty-nine.
High-school history teacher.
He and Amanda had been together five years.
They became foster parents because they had talked about adoption.
He said:
“I wanted to help. Amanda wanted a child.”
“That sounds unfair.”
“It probably is.”
He looked down.
“At first we both wanted both.”
Ruby’s placement changed their relationship.
Amanda reorganized life around her.
Schedules.
Food.
Clothes.
Preschool.
Therapy.
Eric admired it.
Then feared it.
“She could not tolerate uncertainty.”
“What uncertainty?”
“Whether Ruby stayed.”
If the caseworker said:
Reunification likely in three months,
Amanda became anxious for days.
If Claire missed a visit, Amanda relaxed.
Eric noticed.
He hated noticing.
Then came the first discipline concern.
Ruby threw the fabric pouch that had held the pendant.
Screamed:
“I want Mommy.”
Amanda took her to the guest room.
Closed the door.
Not locked.
Told her she could come out when she:
“used a calm voice.”
Time:
About twenty minutes.
Not extreme in isolation.
But the agency had specifically directed foster parents not to use isolation following parental-contact distress.
Ruby needed co-regulation.
Amanda knew.
She repeated similar time-outs.
Then restricted access to a family photo album after Ruby tore a page.
Eric reported concerns to the caseworker.
Amanda called it betrayal.
Their relationship deteriorated.
A licensing review followed.
No finding that Amanda physically assaulted Ruby.
Important.
No slap.
No hair pulling.
The issue was emotional discipline, attachment interference, failure to follow reunification guidance, and misleading reporting about contact readiness.
Ruby was moved to a different foster placement for the final weeks before returning to Claire.
Amanda’s license closed.
Eric surrendered his too.
They separated six months later.
Amanda told everyone the fostering experience had:
“broken them.”
May you like
She never told me she had fostered at all.
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