Serving via Foster Care by Howard Kirk - betterthanfound.org

Dec 09, 2024 6:52 pm

We hope you all are doing well!

Monday, we reopened our home for foster children (we have had an 18-month-old with us for a few months.) On Tuesday, we were approached about placing two children (most likely on the adoption track) with us. We agreed to take them, but we mentioned that if another family were available and interested in adopting, that would be a better option. As a result, those children were placed elsewhere.

We received another call late yesterday asking about placing two children with us. However, there were actually three siblings who would need to be split up. We couldn’t let them do it, so at 4 a.m. this morning, we welcomed a 4-year-old, a 7-year-old, and a 10-year-old from Amarillo into our home. Please pray for us! I am getting old, and our home just got noisy:)

Several folks have mentioned to us a version of “I just couldn’t do it, I would get too attached…” or “I just can’t imagine sending them off or back to some worse situation…”

There is a massive need for foster families. Texas currently needs 2,148 beds to meet the demand. Further, only 32% of children are placed in their home counties, and only 60.7% of sibling groups stay together.

The focus must be on the children. Yes, we become highly attached. I assure you that this old crusty construction worker sheds tears every time children leave our home. However, we would be wrong to focus on our breaking hearts. These children need a stable, supportive, and loving home that we provide in Christian service.

It is tough when they leave for an unknown situation. We serve within the government’s system. We must trust that God loves these children, is in control, and will provide for them.

Since we have little control over where these children may end up, it reinforces that we give them all our Christian love because it may need to last a while. We temporarily parent children who are confused, behind, neglected, etc. One of my life mottos is “Leave it better than you found it.” We aim to ensure these children are in much better shape when they leave than when we welcomed them into our family.

In short, it cannot be about me, you, or us. The focus must be on giving these children all of our Christian love. Hopefully, we strengthen children, leaving them Better than Found.