You can support foster families in many ways. Our community has made our journey possible by showing up time and time again.

It Takes a Village

It’s simple, there is no possible way that my husband and I would be where we are at in our foster care journey without the support and encouragement from our community. There are a number of valuable organizations and resources available to us that have stepped in. However, there is a significant gap in our capacity and abilities that only individuals in our community could fill. If you know someone in your life that is fostering, here are some tangible ways our family has been supported by the people around us. 

Home Projects

We are not handy people. We have a beautiful home that we’ve been blessed with, but it’s an old home. Old homes have lots of character and there also seems to be no simple way to update or replace anything. As we started to prepare our house to pass our home study, we had a long list of little things that needed done. 

As we completed other required steps to get our license, there were a couple people that stepped in and really helped us tackle these tasks which took a lot off our plate. Some things were simple such as installing the necessary smoke detectors. Other things were a little more complex, such as removing the locking mechanisms from our MANY original door knobs throughout the house. Also, sometimes we needed just pure manpower to move furniture around and get the kids’ rooms set.

 

Registry

This will vary from family to family.  As a couple with no kids, we had basically nothing that we needed to welcome kids into our home. A family that already has biological kids will have some of the essentials, but there are still likely tangible needs that would help them get started. 

We opted to create an Amazon wish list that we shared with our community. This list included things like booster seats, night lights, dressers, smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, bedding sets, mattress protectors, and sensory kits. Having our community step in and purchase things for us from our wish list was a huge help. It minimized the financial burden of doing all of this ourselves. Plus, it made us feel loved since this was our version of a “baby shower” as we prepared our home.  

Meals

It was an absolute gift to have people in our community deliver meals to our home. When we got our first placement, knowing that dinner was covered gave me one less thing to think about. It gave us the space to focus on connecting with the kids and making them feel at home.

Additionally, when someone would come drop off a meal it was a great way for the kids to see the support and love of our community. Each kiddo is different, and it’s possible strangers coming to the house could be a trigger. However, in our situation, the kids loved meeting new people. It also provided reassurance that there were people supporting us to meet their needs and care for them.  

 

Knowing the Kids

Above all, the best support we have experienced is having people in our life take the time to know the kids in our care. They do not see the kids as a temporary part of our life. There are people in our life that have taken the time to build relationships with the kids. This gives the kids a greater sense of community and stability. 

Our neighbors have become family to us, and a big reason for this is the way they have loved and invested in the kids. They know what the kids like and how they are doing in school. Their presence puts them up close to see the growth and the setbacks. This gives them a special ability to encourage and advise us on this journey. 

 

Extra Hands

Often, all we need is an extra set of hands. Specifically with a sibling group of four, sometimes we just don’t have enough hands to get the kids where they need to be. This might look like hanging out with one kid at the house while I take another to a counseling appointment. It also could be just entertaining the kids while my husband and I have our visit with our social worker. This has been helpful so that we can focus on the visit and speak freely without worrying about them overhearing. 

I’m sure most moms can relate to the idea that sometimes we just need adult conversation. When things are hectic and we feel like things are out of our control, having an extra set of hands (and ears) to lean on goes so far. We love when someone just comes over, in the midst of our chaos, and jumps in with us. It makes us feel seen, supported, and loved as we persevere on this journey.