Faith, Fear, and Fostering: Answering the Call to Fosterنموونە

THE SACRIFICES AND REWARDS OF FOSTERING

Deciding to foster is just the first step toward your calling. The bigger step comes when you commit to the process of becoming approved.

The journey is not easy. The classes are long, the homework is deeply reflective, and the paperwork feels endless. I remember telling a friend that you must have a strong desire, determination, and unwavering assurance in your calling to make it through.

The paperwork? Repetitive. The classes? Three hours long, at night, during the week. The trainings? Sometimes, overwhelming. I once had to take a water safety class and a CPR class in the same night, which lasted nearly five hours.

And that’s just the beginning. Court dates often involve sitting for hours with no updates, and preparing your home for approval is tedious and expensive. From fire extinguishers to child locks, stair gates to pool gates, cribs to bedding—the list truly goes on and on.

The work is a sacrifice.
The finances are a sacrifice.
The time is a sacrifice.

But sacrifice is often the very path to purpose. Joseph endured slavery before becoming a ruler. David faced a giant. Hannah dedicated her son Samuel to God. And Jesus gave His life on the cross. Life is filled with sacrifices, but the reward always surpasses the pain.

From the moment you decide to foster, through every step of parenting a child who has known loss and trauma, there will be sacrifices. But I can truly say it is beyond worth it.

When a child who was once lost, hurting, and in need of love enters your home, you have the privilege to:

• Love them as Christ loves.
• Pray over their healing and future.
• Nurture them from brokenness to thriving.

Whether you keep the child forever or only for a season, knowing you’ve been a place of safety and hope for them is more fulfilling than anything I’ve ever experienced. Fostering is faith in action and putting love into motion.

God has entrusted you with this child because He saw something in you no one else could offer. Embrace this sacred privilege to be His hands and feet. It’s a long road, but the destination, the transformation of a child’s life, is beyond worth the journey.