Log in to become a member of Jerry Pugh's Fan Club!
I am a foster/adoptive parent in North Carolina. My wife and I started about 5 years ago. It is one of the most rewarding things I believe I have ever done. We have had about 24 kids in our home over that period of time. They have ranged from 2 weeks old to 17 years old. We've had both boys and girls. I won't say it's all been fun and games, some of these kids come with a little baggage(problems), but they are still great kids. You just have to figure out what they need and how to communicate with them.
I believe one of the saddest things you'll ever see is a 6 year old boy coming into your home with his head hung down a paper bag in his hand and he sticks his hand out to shake yours and ask" Is this where I'm going to stay now?" It'll tear you heart out. Or when DSS calls you on the evening before Thanksgiving with two kids. That's when you add two more places to the table and the family welcomes them with open arms. That's what family is all about. Rewarding is when you get a 14 month old little boy, you figure out you need locks on the kitchen cabinets and he gets down there and helps you put them on. Most of these kids come to you wondering what the rules in your house are. We have only one rule in our home that is "not to hurt each other", mentally or physically. That covers pretty much everything. We've heard that all you have to do is LOVE them. It's going to take a little more than that. Kids now days catch on to things pretty fast and they might find a way to use that. We've got 20 grandkids and we know how that works. Most of these kids act better than our grandkids.
These kids, no matter what their age or sex, need a safe place to call home for awhile. Is it hard to let them go? Yes. Do you get attached? Yes. If you don't then you're not doing something right. You just have to deal with it. When we started we made the decision to try and let these kids move on to a situation that would benefit them. That's worked so far.
Sometimes you find one you just can't let go and if they are put up for adoption then maybe you might get a chance to keep them. We did, we found a keeper. We got this one when he/she was 1 month old. We've had this one now for almost 3 years. We hope the adoption will be finalized this year. I'm sorry that I had to say he/she, it's a privacy thing.
All in all if you've ever though about fostering, if you and your spouse can work together, you'll get more out of it than the kids.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
