Everyone remembers that moment when they became a foster parent. This may not necessarily be the day that you signed the papers or the day you decided to foster a child. It may not even be the day the child came to your home. It may be the first time that you felt you really connected with your foster child. Or the day that you knew that your life would be incomplete unless you became a foster parent.
Feeling an Emotional Shift
The day you become a foster parent is the day when feel an emotional shift inside of you. You realize that you’re a different person now than you were before because a child will be coming or has already come into your life. And once you experience this moment, you also know that you’re going to do whatever it takes to give that child a happy childhood which is the foundation for a happy life.
Commitment to Becoming a Foster Parent
Some people think of this emotional shift as a moment of surrender or letting go. You can also call it commitment—you become emotionally committed to caring for another human being. When you have this moment, you might also freak out a little bit because caring for a child is a big commitment. But the fact is that you wouldn’t have had the idea of becoming a foster parent if you didn’t know, inside you, that you were capable of it.
Gaining Your Foster Child’s Trust
The fact is that different children are different. And caring for a foster child is not going to be a cakewalk. It’s quite possible that the child has been through a traumatic experience which has left them without any caregivers. And they might be afraid that they’re going to lose you too which might prevent them from trusting you right away. But as long as you are emotionally committed to that child’s happiness, you will find a way to get through to them and become the foster parent that you know you can be.
Contact us to learn more about the process of becoming a foster parent.