When we started the foster care process a few years ago, I remember asking myself, “Can we really do this? Are we ready to become a family of 5? Even if it is only temporary can we do this?” I had mounds of paperwork next to me that both my husband and I needed to fill out and sign. Doctor visits needed to be made, psych evals needed to be completed and background checks needed to be processed. I remember staring at the pile thinking to myself, “Are we ready for this?” But then another thought quickly flew into my brain- “What’s one more?” I had a great sense of peace about me with the whole thing-I always have. Sure there were times when we were nervous. We didn’t know what to expect but again-what’s one more?
After our kids had found out our license had been approved, they asked me on a regular basis if we were going to have any placements. They were so excited at the opportunity to love on other kids. Our first placement was with us for about 7 weeks. Not even a week after he left we received our 2nd placement. Again, I had to ask myself- “What’s one more?” Consistently since then, we’ve been asked to take kids on a short-term basis (maybe a night or 2). Currently, we have another full-time placement bringing our number to 4 kids in our home-but again-what’s one more? I’m not going to say that it’s always easy or that that we get perfectly behaved children that don’t cry or fight. But are anyone’s children like that? Mine certainly are not. The one thing each and every child that has come into our home has had in common is that each is looking for a safe place, a place where they feel loved and secure. Where they can have food to eat whenever they are hungry and a warm bed where they can sleep. Can you offer that? Can you offer a few extra hugs throughout the day and a bit of emotional stability to the kids in your area? You are already helping your child(ren) with homework, cooking them their meals, and helping with their laundry. What’s one more?
I know not every family is cut out for foster care. It’s not always easy. You have an constant influx of social workers coming into your home to see you and the child(ren). You have an extra child to take to dentist appointments, drop off at school, help with their homework, and do laundry for-but really-what’s one more?
The one thing that I truly wasn’t prepared for when we started doing foster care was how much love I really had to give these kids. I love on these kids so hard when they are with us. I make sure they know that they are safe, that they are loved, and that we care. Even if they are only with us for a few days, they will know that as long as they are with us they are safe and that we will do all that we can for them. Even if it’s just someone to sit with them at night because they are afraid of the dark, to help them with some math worksheets, or to simply read them a bedtime story, they will always leave our house knowing they are loved.
One thing people don’t give themselves enough credit for is all that they can offer. Foster kids come with stigma’s attached unfortunately. They aren’t bad kids, they aren’t difficult, they aren’t delinquents. They are simply children. They are children who need love and support. They need to know they are safe and they are wanted. They need to know that no matter what someone cares for them. We know that not every child who comes into our home is going to be a perfectly well-behaved child. What child is? But if you already have a child in your home to care for and love on, can you love on one more? What’s one more? Every child deserves to be loved. Every child deserves to be cared for. Every child deserves a warm bed and food to eat. Can you offer that? Can you offer some extra love and TLC to a child or 2 in your community? After all what’s one more? Dig a little deeper and find the extra love you have…it’s there…I promise.