Need Information on Foster Parenting

I think foster parenting is a very rewarding experience. I am not personally a foster parent but my parents were for over 15 years. My parents started when I was 13 years old. For the most part they took girls, a few boys here and there. I am now 36 years old and can say that I consider at least 3 of the girls that lived in my parents home to be my sisters. I have one biological sister. All in all 24 foster children lived with my parents over the years. When people ask me about my experience with foster care I have to say that it made me the person I am. I learned to appreciate everything I got and mostly appreciate my parents. I wouldn't say it was easy growing up with so many kids coming and going, but the relationships I had over those years made me a better person. When my mom asks if my sister and I felt like we missed out on things because of it (family vacations, having my own room, sharing 1 bathroom with 5 other girls, etc.) I say absolutely not. I would recommend that you contact some agencies and maybe go to a couple of their trainings. My parents were foster parents through Children's Choice. They have several offices throughout Pennsylvania. Their main number is ###-###-####.

Hello - I have never been a foster parent, but I was a foster child. I think the biggest thing I can suggest is that you have to realize any child you have coming into your home is going to need a lot of time, attention, love and understanding. There is a reason why they are in foster care.
They will need a lot of reassurance that they are loved and special just like other kids are. I had wonderful foster family, parents who loved me through a lot of rough times, and two foster sisters who tried to help me feel like part of the family.

I have been a foster parent for a total of 3 years. It can be really hard. All the children come with some sort of emotional problems. Some you get attached to and some you may need to have removed from your home, but at the end of the day it can be really rewarding to see the difference it can make in their lives. There would be so much to tell you. If you want to talk more you can email me at ____@____.com.

Thanks,
T.

Mom of 2 4yr old son and 2yr old daughter and 3 foster children 16, 8, and 10.

We will be fostering anytime as we have almost completed the prcoess; we are looking forward to helping a child out. The training is extensive and I think you would be able to decide after having it. You can choose the age and sex of child. I know many others who did it; yes it is always risky but you can also start with a younger child who has less baggage.

good luck
C.

HI being an ex foster parent Let me tell you be sure your heart can handle seperation. Timeand again we opened our home for our guys we had all boys from 2 to 13 and when i was single i had a home for runaway girls. And My heart ached every time a child was adopted out or returned home or put in permananet placement. Also make sure all their health needs are covered by the agency or the state handling their placement in your home. And too sometimes Kids from broken homes can be disruptive to your family and not appreciate their placement in a loving caring family so can be damaging and destructive. Now don't get me wrong i loved my kids and I miss them as I Have since moved on to a different state so I have no clue what they are up to.
I worked retail part time and it was so sweet when one of them would come into the store and say thanks and tell my co workers how special I was to them. So look at both sides of the coin. Gods Blesings on your compassion.

Hi J.,

A good friend of mine grew up with foster children in her home, so I would suggest you try her. Just mention to her that I suggested you speak with her. Her parents, as foster parents, would also be a great resource.

Kristie Guthrie
cell ###-###-####

Best of luck!

G. Stasko
Independent Associate
Pre-Paid Legal Services
###-###-####
www.prepaidlegal.com/hub/greerstasko

The whole family has to be commited to help out. This is not a one person job, but the whole family. You will have to fight for these kids. From what I know of the system, CYS has to try to reunite the family. So this can be an emotionally upheaval time, and can have behaviors shown that they had before being placed in foster home. What the foster home is, is a place where the foster child can feel safe and secure. The foster parents are responsible for the child's physical and emotional safety and security. Most foster children will need to have some psychological therapy, and of course there are all the meetings with cys and court cases/hearings. This is a full time commitment. There are non-profit organizations /support groups out there for foster parents, like Heart2heart in my area. (www.heart2heart.org). Most of these children come from abusive and neglectful homes, so there are emotional and behavioral issues. It is not the child's fault, but the parents which is why they end up in foster care. They are not bad kids, just kids in need of firm loving support that will not Abandon them. Note, some of these kids have never known what a normal family life is like and will rebel against it. Hope this helps..

Hi J.,
I am a social worker for Children's Choice Foster Care and Adoption agency. Although it can be tough, our parents also say it is the most rewarding experience they have ever done. Our website is www.childrenschoice.org if you want to check it out or our phone number is ###-###-#### if you want to call for information. We have children from newborn all the way to teens and also do just foster care, foster to adopt, or just adoptions depending on what route you want to go.

If you have kids I do not recomed it because the foster children DID NOT HAVE A GOOD LIFE and there are problems. If you don't have kids then go for it, because we need more people in the world that LOVE children.
Jade