I wish that Richmondmom.com had the resources to do a National Supermom Contest! Because if we did, I would nominate my friend Linda, in Texas. Linda not only has an adopted daughter, but her family has provided foster care to many other children over the years as well.
Linda’s journey began when she was driving home from a doctor’s appointment. On the way they saw a billboard for fostering and adopting. After further discussion, Linda and her husband decided that too many children needed homes, so they decided to go that route instead.
They went through the required classes and home study, and received approval in 2002. Four months later, they adopted their daughter Allie (who had been placed into a foster home at birth) when she was eight months old.
Since then, they have provided foster care to a number of different children, who have since been reunited with their parents once their home situation stabilized.
“Many people ask how we could return foster kids back to their parents. Although hard on some, I never attached, as I knew from the beginning I was -in my mind- helping a friend, although I still wonder sometimes where they are today,” said Linda.
When asked if she ever considered adopting more children, Linda explains that adopting through the foster care system does not always go smoothly. And in that situation, letting go can be especially hard.
“When my daughter was around seven years old, she started asking about having siblings. So we re-licensed with the state for legal risk adoption (kids that have a slight risk of returning to their birth parents). We had a couple sets of children in different circumstances come through our home and in 2009 we were approved to adopt a family of four. Unfortunately, it didn’t progress to adoption.”
Linda says that, although her daughter had always wanted siblings and it was hard on her when things did not move forward, as a family they simply accepted that what was meant to be will happen. In the end, they decided not to adopt again.
I asked Linda if she had any advice for prospective Foster Parents. She said, “Be honest with yourself about your personality and capabilities of bringing a child into your home, but also don’t let fear stand in the way. In all honesty, only the strongest of people can take this journey.”
Emotionally strong indeed! This is why I wish we had the resources to celebrate all of these Supermoms out there in our communities!
But aren’t we fortunate as a society that they do what they do? In the U.S. more than 400,000 children are being raised by foster parents.
Have you considered being a Foster Parent? For more information contact your local department of social services.
For more insights into the Foster Parenting journey, check out the Foster 2 Forever blog.
