As a mom to many, I often hear the phrase, “I just don’t know how you do it all!” My immediate response to those comments typically falls along the lines of, “Oh, believe me, I don’t. It takes teamwork as a family, and it takes a village!” For my husband and I, teamwork is essential. …
Foster Care
“So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life …
So you think you want to become a foster parent? Feeling called to foster care can be a profoundly fulfilling and joyous experience. You may have been inspired by a sermon, moved by statistics, or felt confident raising your biological children. Why not extend your love to a few more? The question may be, ‘Am …
Parenting is hard, and so is learning to self-regulate as a parent. It would be difficult to find a parent who disagrees with that statement. However, good news is embedded in that statement, too. Parenting is hard because you’re trying to be a good parent. You’re not just meeting your children’s physical needs; you’re meeting …
When we think of a precious child, we should first start with a definition of the word. Precious translates from a Hebrew word that can mean dear, expensive, costly, heavy, or grievous. We were all created in the image of God, which on its own makes us precious. The reality is that sometimes children with …
When I think of how to support adoptive and foster kids, I remember working with a 9-year-old boy named Nathan in counseling. Nathan was in foster care. He had bounced around a few different foster care homes over the years but had been in a mostly stable and supportive situation for the past year. His …
As a pro-family Christian ministry, Focus on the Family has always promoted adoption and foster care for families. In fact, since 2008, our Wait No More™ ministry has supported foster and adoptive families through conferences, events, free resources, and more. We want to encourage Christian families in their calling to foster, adopt, or support other …
I take care of the child, but there’s not much I can do for their parents. I’m not against reunification, but that depends on the family, and there’s nothing I can do about that. I have no control over the way this case plays out. I’ve thought it all before. If you’re a foster parent, …
I am a firm believer that one of the most challenging things in life is to feel alone in your pain. This has certainly been true in my own life. There were times I desperately wanted to hear someone say, “Same here.” I needed that level of emotional support. About 15 years ago, I got …
The African Proverb, ‘It takes a village to raise a child,’ is particularly relevant in the realm of foster care. The journey of welcoming a child into your home mirrors the experience of bringing your first child home from the hospital—filled with uncertainty and the question, ‘Now what?’ There’s no manual or guidebook to accompany …
