Four Less

Our foster children have gone home - reunited with their parents.  They have been with us almost 5 months and to say that we have grown attached to them is an understatement.  We love them and care deeply for them and their absence is a great loss.  We have seen the baby learn to smile and laugh and sit and crawl and eat cereal.  And we have seen many firsts as well with the older kids.  They were both a challenge and a joy.  Our home is eerily quiet without them here.  People tell us (and all other foster parents) that they could not foster becaue they would get attached.  Well, that is kind of the deal.  That is one of the sacrifices of fostering.  You hurt for the kids.  You pray for the kids and their safety.  You get attached.  You laugh with them and you cry with them.  It is painful.  We have cried many tears and I am pretty sure, even though they wanted to go home, the kids have some pain in the separation as well.  But the kids are worth all of it.  They deserve someone to love them while their family pulls it together.  We did our best for them while they were with us and now we will pray for them - that they will be safe and loved and well cared for and that someone will continue to tell them how special they are.
The kids were gone from our home 24 hours ago.  We have gotten two calls asking us to take two different placements in that time.  Two sibling groups who need someone to care.  Our extra beds are still warm and we could have them full again tonight.  The need for more foster parents is so great.  The process to get licensed is excruciating and frustrating....but the kids are worth it.  The process of dealing with all the extra people who are suddenly thrust into your life (social workers, case workers, therapists, doctors, etc.) will try your desire for privacy and your patience.  But these kids need someone.  They have done nothing to be in the position of being without a home and parents.  They are innocent in the train wreck that is their lives.  Their stories are heart breaking.  If any of these kids were standing on your door step and telling you their story, I think most of you would scoop that child up and bring them in and care for them.  Well, these kids are standing on the doorsteps of our communities.  They have no voice to ask for help.  Yet they need it desperately.  Your age (as long as you are over 21), your marital status, and your wealth or lack thereof do not matter.  Do you have running water?  Do you have electricity?  Do you have the ability to provide a bed and food?  The requirements are pretty basic and believe it or not, the kids will be so excited to have these very basic things.
I try not to write, for public consumption anyway, when I am so emotional.  But this is too important to sugar coat or file away.  I see it every week.  I hear it every week.  There are kids who need you.


P.S.  I want so badly to include scripture but do not want to appear to be any more on my soapbox than I already do.  It does not take much searching of scripture to see how important the weak and vulnerable are to God.  He cares about these kids with no voice.  He expects us to be that voice.  We are instructed to be imitators of  Him.  I think He is grieved as these kids are sent to group homes instead of into Christian families.  It is our responsibility as Christians to take care of the least of these.