People often ask why I have spent the last 15 years of my life as a foster parent for the Department of Children's Services. In honor of National Foster Care Month, here's my answer.

First of all, I love it! I enjoy the kids in my home and am so surprised at how easily they adapt to a new home and routine. I like working with the parents of the child and helping them work on their plan to get the child back, if this is what is best for the child. Many of the kids come from homes with drugs, alcohol and abuse. So, as a foster parent, I provide a temporary home, care and nurturing for children as young as infants and as old as 18, until they can return home or until a permanent home is found.

In Davidson County, Tennessee, over 1,000 kids have been removed from their homes and placed into foster care. These children are of all races and backgrounds and count on their foster parents to provide guidance through a difficult situation. Foster parents offer a safe and stable home and a chance to help make a child's life story a good one.

When a child is placed into Davidson County's foster care system, our first goal is to try to reunite the child with their biological family. Often people will ask "How can you do this knowing you have to give the child up?" My answer is that I feel like I am making a difference in their life even though it may be a short time. They are not mine to keep, but I just love them to pieces while I have them. They deserve that. I don't want them to be with people who don't fall in love with them. They so desperately need that love.

DCS is always looking for those who care for children in our community. No matter how much time you have to give, you have the power to do something positive that can change a life for a young person in foster care. To be a foster or adoptive parent, you do not have to have your own home, savings account, be married or have a degree.

I love talking to people who express an interest in maybe fostering and who wonder what it entails. I wish that more young couples would find it in their hearts and lives to foster because so many kids need a good male role model.

I highly recommend fostering kids if you are interested. If you want to be a foster parent, you should be prepared to:

• Give without the expectation of immediate returns
  
• Have room in your home and in your daily life
  
• Learn and use proven behavioral management skills
  
• Love and care for children with problems
  

Foster Parents can be:

• Single or married
  
• With or without children of their own
  
• Homeowners or renters
  
• Employed or not employed, but must be able to financially meet his/her own needs
  

Because of the complexity of the critical role foster parents play, DCS will carefully assesses you if you are interested. This also gives you the opportunity to work with a case manager to assess yourself before you accept the role of foster parent. Each potential foster parent participates in a home study that assists the department and the families in making decisions regarding the foster home approval process.

DCS also provides a 30-hour training program called PATH (Parents As Tender Healers) to all prospective foster parents. All potential foster parents must provide five references, will be fingerprinted and will have to undergo a complete background check.

Foster parenting is a calling. It is a chance to change the life of a child that is lost and hurt. If you feel that this might be something that you could do, please call 1-877-DCS-KIDS.

7 others have done this "5 minutes of caring" To date, you've cared for 0 minutes on CoolPeopleCare.org

Post a comment

You must be a registered user to post comments.
Log in or create an account.

Ingredients:

• Love to give
• Willingness to invite someone in
• A place for someone to turn to

Caring Time:

• A lifetime

Cost:

• Whatever it takes to give someone the life they need

Results:

• A changed life
• A stable environment
• New friends and family