Fostering, adorable kids, and advanced notice

As most of you know, my sister and her husband are foster/adoptive parents.  I asked her to write about some common misconceptions people have about fostering.

From Foster to Forever

When first considering adoption as a route to expand our family, my husband and I quickly became overwhelmed and confused. Almost enough for us not to pursue it. Foster care kept coming up in conversations and situations and we figured out that God was not-so-subtly telling us to be foster parents. At our first informational meeting, we realized that there were many misconceptions about taking the foster-to-adopt avenue. Allow me to play the role of a myth-buster:
truth
It’s cheap, if not free. As a foster parent, the state pays you a monthly reimbursement for every day you take care of a child in CPS care. The rate is based on the level of care the child requires and varies with agencies. Once your foster child becomes available to adopt, the legal fees can be between $500-$1000 to finalize adoption. Now with my daughter, the state reimbursed us for those fees because she qualified for state subsidy. So not only were we paid to take care of her while fostering, but the adoption was FREE
truth
You can get a newborn! Foster-to-adopt is the only way to adopt a newborn other than private adoption. Foster parents can specify what age, race, and sex of children they would like placed with them. You can even narrow it down to “legal risk placements” only, which means the goal for the child is adoption. I have many friends that have gone to a hospital to pick up a newborn foster child, that became their forever child.
truth
Adoptions through CPS do not have to be open adoptions. Sometimes birth parents request an open adoption for them to stay in contact with the child, but you do not have to consent to it. The law does not require you to keep in touch with them.

By now you are thinking, “What if I get attached to a baby and then they are taken away.” How many times a day do I hear, “I could never be a foster parent because I would get too attached.” Well….let me explain. It’s not easy. Being a foster parent doesn’t mean that you have to be a hard-hearted person that doesn’t care. There is only one thing that you need to be, and that is willing. You say “Yes”, and God takes care of the rest. After pouring your heart and soul into a child for months, you’re going to cry when they leave. But it’s not about you, it’s about doing what God calls you to do. God equips you and prepares your heart. He also mends it when it gets broken. I knew almost immediately after my daughter was placed with us at four months old that she was our forever baby. So far, the love that I have for my foster sons have been totally different than the love I had (and have) for my daughter. Are there days I want to quit? Absolutely. Is the pain or hardship worth the cause? Well, I have a beautiful daughter to prove that yes, it’s worth it!

So, there's a honest look at fostering.

Now, just for the sake of smiles.  Here is my neice Kylie Faith.  I think she is the next face of Gerber!

And, now, an advanced warning.  Warning:  if you like your American Christian ideas about how your life, church, faith etc are supposed to be, and you are not interested in being stretched or challenged for and by God, you'll want to ignore some upcoming posts.  So, I'm reading David Platt's new book called "Radical, taking back your faith from the American dream".  Oh Man, is it counter-culture and gonna blow some socks off!  I cannot wait to post some quotes from it.