THE POSITIVES OF FOSTER CARE

So often we hear the negatives about foster care, but let's talk about the positives of being a foster family.

Children in the foster care system are tough to care for because of the neglect and abuse they have suffered in their lives, but they are not impossible to care for. There are many of us who enjoy doing it, so the trials associated with this type of work don't seem like work at all.

If we go into it with an attitude of "how can I help" "how can I make a difference in this persons life" and by keeping our minds and hearts open, making no judgment, but loving and appreciating family enough to want to help them overcome their obstacles and succeed, by being positive and extending ourselves in every way, keeping expectations low, but hoping for the best, in the end there is something to be gained; knowing that we have done our very best.

I have been given a lot of appreciation for the care I give the children in my care. From the social workers and attorneys to the bio families and I find it rewarding to know that my work has been validated.

As a foster parent we can't be afraid of facing problems. If we welcome challenge and the work involved in problem solving, if we want our lives to count for something that is really important to our society, then I can't think of any better or rewarding way than by helping a child in the foster care system.

Being a foster parent means giving up a lot of our freedom. Taking in children means creating problems in our homes, but it also means that we have an opportunity to give back to our communities by helping strengthen and preserve families. I can think of nothing more rewarding.