Become a Foster Parent!

I am so proud of my little sister. She and her husband decided to foster some kids last year, after only being married for one year. They attended the classes, did all the paperwork and in about 3-6 months were offered 3 children, all siblings. They showed up at her house with only the clothes on their back, and now, about 9 months later, it looks like they are going to become permanent members of our family!

Growing up, one of my best friends was adopted. Her two brothers were too…all from different families. As they got older, their parents continued to foster, adopting one more girl and almost adopting a 5th child. It always seemed important to me to take care of the children that are on the planet, and too much stress is put on having biological children. I had always planned on adopting a child, but life happened too quickly.
It’s not easy to open your home to strangers, but children are highly adaptable. I wasn’t sure how long it would take me to warm up to them, but I honestly have to say that I love my soon-to-be niece and nephews as much as I would love them if my sister had given birth to them.

You can also do short term emergency placements, meant to find a quick home for the kids when they need a day or three to find long term placements for them. My mom has started doing this and she loves it. It’s a way to give back to the kids without making a long-term commitment or massive change in lifestyle.

The Department of Defense adoption reimbursement program provides qualified families with up to $2,000 per child for a total of no more than $5,000 in one year’s time for multiple children. Families may be reimbursed for qualifying expenses, e.g., adoption agency fees, legal fees, some medical expenses. This does not include travel. Contact your Personnel Support Unit for more information or read a fact sheet on the National Military Family Association website.
For more information:

http://www.fosterparenting.com/
http://www.adoptuskids.org/resourceCenter/rrtPackets/military.aspx
http://www.adoptuskids.org/images/resourceCenter/militaryGuide.pdf