I am a Foster Mom and this is My Story

​I am a Foster Mom and this is My Story

I heard the knock on the door my heart began pounding. Thinking, "Am I ready for this? 
Can I really help this child?" 

Opening the door, half hiding behind a caseworker, I see a little boy, looking down holding tightly onto a stuffed elephant and a football. My heart explodes with the desire to make him feel safe. "Come on in" I say, "would you like some cookies?"  (It’s an old real estate trick: bake cookies to make the house feel homey.) 

All I got was a head shake, but Asher and his case worker came in. We sat down to do the paperwork and Asher was fidgeting, clearly nervous to be here. We walked back to show him what turned out to be his room for the next year and a half. Little did Asher know, I had already started to love him. There's just something special about helping kids who are stuck in hard situations.

It took a while for Asher to warm up to me and adjust to having a routine. But patience, caring, and consistency won out and Asher is now thriving! The biggest challenge was school—he was two years behind. The routine helped and so did his motivation to play football. I'm happy to report that with our help and that of his tutor, he should be on grade level next year.

For me, well, my first foster was hard. I always knew that reunification was the goal but the reality of the loss when he left was real. I'm lucky that his Bio Mom was able to see how much he grew as a person while "in care" and she still includes me in his life. 

You see, fostering is intended to be temporary care. My “job” was to love and care for this child as if he were my own until his biological parents could take care of him. Yes, sometimes that temporary job can become permanent and lead to adoption; but when a parent and child can be reunified, that is the best of both worlds!  I am proud of the forever impact I have had on Asher’s life. 

I hope my story inspires you to consider fostering. I am now readying my home for another foster adventure, maybe siblings this time.

Forever, “Aunt” Sally