Opening our family's doors

   So, our family is in the process of embarking on a rather big journey... We are in the process of becoming foster parents.  Fostering and adoption has been on my heart since I worked with inner city youth shortly after Justin and I got married 10 years ago.  Before that the thought was in my mind as something I hoped to consider some day.  For Justin, opening up our home to those in need feels natural, since his parents housed over 20 people who needed a place to stay while he was growing up.
   Since we have 4 young children to care for at the moment, we don't take this decision lightly.  When Justin's work expanded their foster ministry to include opportunities for employees to foster, we began prayerfully considering opening our doors at this time.  Having been interested in how all this works the last 10 years (and really learning as I go right now), I thought I'd share with you about the process so far.
   We started with an orientation class that was a few hours long (Patrick, about 4 months old at the time, tagged along).  After the orientation we spent the next month doing a daily devotional that helped us prayerfully consider our decision and role in foster care.  Then, we attended a 23 hour training course (pressed into a Thursday-Sunday, with 6 month Patrick in tow while the others played with grandparents), which covered the effects of abuse and neglect, how the fostering system works, and more.  It was emotionally taxing.  We left the training course with a nice stack of paper work.
   Tonight was our first home study out of three.  We turned in most of the paper work and got another larger set (we hear the largest set of paperwork is yet to come).  We have completed some of our "to do" list but still have quite a lot to do:
- finish vaccinating our children
- get vaccination records for our pets
- put all knifes and scissors behind a lock
- put all medications and household chemicals behind a lock
- get carbon monoxide detectors
- get physicals for everyone in the family
- get drug tested
- get tested for tuberculosis
- put together a  (specified) first aid kit
- fix the gate on our stairs (which we need to do anyways)
- get our well and septic inspected
- provide references
- complete lots of paperwork regarding our finances, family history, and preferences regarding who we will foster....
  At our next home visit, we will turn in more paper work and be interviewed.  William and Vera will be interviewed as well (and Silas, age 3, as much as he desires).  William is the most excited about opening our home to a child in need.  His heart is full of love.  Vera tends to come at it from the angle of wanting a sister :), but shows that she understands what fostering is about.  This will certainly provide opportunities for us to grow in our compassion.
   By the 3rd home visit we will need to have our house ready and everything checked off the list.  Once approved (possibly by January), we will be able to accept a child into our home.
   We will most likely have 1 child (2 max) age 3 or younger, and at this time we will not be taking on severe medical needs (in understanding my limitations as I care for multiple children).  Every child will come with baggage, no matter how young; I've been learning so much about what life might feel like from the foster child's perspective and it is humbling and difficult.  It is impossible to know what situation we will end up with... if we will have a child with us for a time with many meetings with their biological parents which end in reunification, or if we will have a child with us who becomes available for adoption and joins our family forever.  While we would love to adopt, we are here to love a child in need, whatever that ends up meaning for that child.  We will take one step at a time, one day... one moment at a time.  We pray for patience, wisdom, and love.  We invite you to pray along with us for our family and for whatever child (or children) we will have the opportunity to love.
  We are excited, nervous, and I am particularly humbled at the opportunity to care for an abused or neglected child.  By God's grace and strength.