I invited each mom to bring an outfit to represent every child loved in their home.
All together they brought 78 outfits.
6 moms, 78 children
it represented so much love and loss.
Triumph and Tribulation.
Stories they'll never know the end of, but their hearts will never stop wishing to read.
Here’s what they want you to know about being a foster mom:
What do you love most about fostering?
“What I love the most about foster care is loving on the kids and moms. It has made us realize that our calling isn’t just to take care of the children but to minister to the parents so that when the children go home they won’t be going back to the same broken situation.”
What is the hardest part of being a foster mom?
“There are several tough things about being a foster mom. Before receiving a placement, the anticipation is a challenge. A call could come at any time of the day. And we never know what we will end up with. A newborn that is addicted to meth? A toddler that has been neglected and abused? A preschooler that is just too challenging in his current home and is being moved, again? Those first few weeks of getting to know a kid are a whirlwind, because they are also combined with many meetings with case managers, lawyers, and various team members. Coupled with having to go to various mandated appointments for the child, it's exhausting. Then getting to know the birth family and loving them well can be a challenge. How close do you get to the family? How much information do you share? Are they dangerous? And then, after all that, a kiddo can leave after days, weeks, months, or even years. It doesn't matter how long they are in the foster home; they leave a hole in the heart of the foster family that can't be filled. Sometimes, that foster family never knows the rest of their story. The goodbye is forever. “
What do you wish others knew about being a foster mom?
“I wish other families understood that it is intense day in and day out as you wade through all the moving parts of foster care. It is not just a cute child entering our home, but a broken biological family that our family has stepped into. A steady stream of attorneys, judges & court hearings, case aids texting you about new visit times, medical needs and a plethora of appointments, home inspections and drop-in visits by DCS; buying the right sized clothes, figuring out the correct baby formula for a precious newborn you know nothing about, getting presents when a child suddenly joins you the week of Christmas; the urgent phone calls when you're in the grocery store and making the drive to parts of town that are outside your norm so that your foster child feels safe. All of this, while you (try to) keep up with the aspects of your family life you had prior to foster care. We fight for their success and healing and future, and one day, we hope, they will reunify and we will be just a distant memory. This is a spiritual, emotional, and physical battle that is so worth it, but we often feel like we just can't do it. Our own family unit really needs our community to push in with extra love, support and understanding through it all. We need encouragement, prayer & help rather than praise.”
How has being a foster mom changed you?
“Being a foster mom has changed me in so many ways, many ways I don't even know if I have acknowledged yet and I am excited to see more changes over time. However, I think the most powerful change I have noticed so far is that the ability to learn what it is like to try and love like Jesus called us to love. I realize daily what a blessing these kids are to my life and I appreciate the time I have had to love on them, but they have loved me 100 times more!”
