Adoption & Family | Fostering | Birth Mom | Adopted
On Fostering
Up until seven years ago, the words ‘foster parent’ had little meaning
to me. The majority of the time when I heard these words spoken, I
associated them with negativity. We have all read the ugly stories about abusive foster parents. Rarely do we read about the successes of
fostering children. Since I became a foster parent, I have had 126
children come through my home. And I can give you many success stories
from my experiences. The children come for many different reasons. Some
are abandoned, abused, or neglected, some have lost their parents to
drug addiction, some have been voluntarily given up for adoption, and
others, their parents just do not have the resources to care for them.
Although the reasons they come here differ with each child, their needs
are all the same. They need love, stability and security. Children have
stayed in my home as little as one night to as long as two years. I have
loved each one as if they were my own and most importantly, I have the
opportunity to pray over each one of them. The biggest fear people have
when they think about foster parenting is, “I would become too attached.
And I could never let them go.” My answer is, yes, if you are a good
foster parent, of course you become attached! And yes, you will shed
many tears as you let them go. But I promise you; the blessings always
outweigh the obstacles!
God has called me to be a foster parent, and I would not change it for
anything in the world. These children are part of the future of our
nation. God gives each of us the opportunity to make a difference.
Loving families are desperately needed to make a difference in the lives
of the 5,000 children in foster care in our community. Do you have a bed
where one or two may lay their head? Invest in the life of a child. They
will never be the same, and neither will you!
~~Joy S.
