Why I'm a Foster Parent

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Why I'm a Foster Parent

Calendar-IconApril 1, 2015  |  FOSTER CARE

Consider becoming a foster parent…the children of our community need us. On any normal day, my mind immediately goes to the kids. What time to I get them on the bus, is there a test at school, what time is that doctor appointment and how many kids will I have to take with me? Is it the dentist, the doctor or the speech therapist today? Food, drinks, clothes, diapers, shoes, laundry, hair brushing, bottles, in addition to the cat, dogs, and the fish. The phone is always ringing from the agency, a caseworker, a therapist, a teacher, or it could be a CPS worker.   Do I answer the phone and risk taking my eye off of the 2 year old who is about to start to throw tomatoes across the kitchen, as the other 2 year old is removing his own poopy diaper? Is the phone call really worth it? Ugh! It’s non-stop. The things I do, cannot possibly be put into a job description that is less than 5 pages long! No wonder I am exhausted, because of my refusal to go to bed at a decent time because of my desperate attempt to have some quiet time, while I am still in a non-comatose state. Why do I do all of this? After all, I have 3 children of my own. Well I’ll tell you…

Somewhere, right this minute, there is a kid who is being beaten, starved, exposed to drugs, neglected, ignored, sexually abused, or abandoned. Some may even be a child of a victim of mental illness, something I understood first hand as a teenager. These kids need help, and they need it right away. They need a safe home, with people that will support their recovery and meet their need for food, shelter, clothing and love.   Sometimes the need is very temporary, sometimes it is long term or even becomes permanent. Either way, there is a need for help, after all, could you imagine your child, grandchild, niece, nephew, or any child you know in a situation like this? If you know enough children, you may see it first hand, as I did in my oldest child’s friend from school. So why not do something about it?

Do you have a safe, secure home? Do you have good health? Are you financially secure enough to pay your bills each month? These are some of the basic requirements of being a foster parent.   There is nothing earth shattering about the requirements. There are so many myths like - you have to be young, or not have your own children, or you can’t be retired, or you have to be a stay home mom/dad, or that you have to have a huge house (something I could really use right about now). In general, foster parents are just everyday people with all kinds of family situations and they want to help children.

So I urge anyone with a heart for children, and the ability to provide a stable, loving home, to contact Child Focus at 752-1555 or a local fostering agency. They can help answer questions, and help you find out if fostering is right for your family!

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