“I want to foster” are the first words spoken when you decide that you’re ready to become a foster parent. One of the best decisions that you can make in your life is fostering a child by bringing them into your home. A child that experiences tragedy, abuse, or brokenness desires the love, hope, and healing welcome of a new home.

The Good and Bad

Portrait of a mother taking her foster children to school.

Raising a child that is in your care is one of the most rewarding and challenging experiences for both the adult and child. The day that the child is brought in your home brings hope, safety, security, and the opportunity to be loved. It’s also a difficult day because it is a reminder of why the child was placed into foster care. The opportunity to bring joy and love to these children is available in spades, but the circumstances that brought them to your doorstep are not the happiest of reasons. Foster care begins with exposing adults to the dark reasons why a child is in foster care and provides an opportunity to bring light, love, and happiness into their world.

Our Eagerness vs. Child’s Reality

Although it is very easy to be eager and excited to foster a child, it’s extremely important to keep in mind the emotional state and thoughts that the child is experiencing. A child that has awareness of his or her situation may not want to be fostered. A desire to see the tragedy that brought them into the foster care system turned into a positive thing should be what drives the desire to want to foster. It is up to you as the adult to help the child understand that bringing them into your home will be a new and happy chapter in their lives. There will be days that will be hard being a foster parent, but keeping positive and pushing through those hard days is the best thing you can do for the child.

Learn More About the Reality of Fostering a Child

If you’re interested in learning more about becoming a foster parent, contact us today.