FOSTER CARE

Before I was adopted, I was in numerous Foster Homes.  I enjoyed going to the various Foster Homes because they gave me a since of what having a real family would be like. They also made me feel sad because after bonding with the family, I would have to return to the children's home.  There were three instances that to this day stand firm in the walls of my memory. There are pros and cons to everything in life and sometimes we have to know how to appreciate them both.  What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.  The Foster Care system definitely makes a child stronger.

1. I was placed in a foster home with one of my biological sisters and was able to spend time with her.  I was with this family for a long period of time and became very attached. They were really nice people but the biggest and most fondest memory was making ice cream from fresh snow.  I have never had anyone else to give me such an awesome memory.
2. The second memory is being placed in a home when I was approximately 3yrs old and didn't leave until I was 6.  My time with this family seemed so much longer because I had a lot of fun.  I even called them mom and dad.  I remember going to school and making friends.  This couple was a lot older but took excellent care of me.  In this home I learned my manners, "yes mam & no mam", I washed my hands before every meal, "please and thank you" were required as well.  I brushed my teeth before going to bed and ate very healthy meals that were very tasty. I was always in the latest fashion for my age and my hair was down my back.  I had a press & curl almost weekly. My greatest memory at this home was being excited about spending time with my cousins who were my age. It was devastating when I had to leave.
3. My next memory would have to be the Christmas I had to spend in the children's home because there wasn't a Foster Home for me to visit.  I wasn't the only kid there but now that I think about it, it was pretty sad because we didn't have a family to share the Christmas season with.  However, I remember getting some dishes and because I was and still am very much a girlie-girl, I couldn't wait to play with those dishes.  I didn't feel alone after getting my presents that year, although in the back of any kids mind, you would definitely rather be with your own family.  

I guess I am sharing these memories with you because I want to pose a questions.  Is Foster Care a service that helps or hinders a child's development?  In my case it did both.  Just as I would become attached to a family, I would be pulled and place either with another family or sent back to the children's home.  However, the moments that I did spend with these families helped me to feel a part of something that provided a loving and caring environment.

I will blog more on my experiences as a foster kid and I pray that it will shed some insight into the mind of the child as well as all the adults involved.  If you are contemplating being a Foster Parent, just remember to give that child the best experience they could ever have so that one day they will write about it as a great memory.  You never know just how many bad experiences they will have already experienced before you. So please make yours great!