Fostering



Here are some of the most popular blog posts:

What It's Like as a Foster Parent when You Get The Call: That first phone call ends up being one of the most stressful hours of my life. How do you know whether to say "yes" or "not now"?

Why I can say Goodbye to my Foster Child: The most common statement I receive is "I couldn't foster because I couldn't say goodbye". Yes, you could.

This is the Room: A Peek Into Foster Care: The progression from the first night to saying goodbye.

Dear Foster Parent in Your First Week: Overwhelmed? Here is some encouragement and tips.

What I Learned as a First-Time Foster Mom: What were my initial thoughts along the fostering journey?

What I Can Tell You About Fostering:  What will happen to YOU when you become a foster parent?

When All I Have Is Not Enough: Sometimes a match just does not work for your family.

What Every Child Needs: Hint, just three things.

In the Midst of the Messy Place: Transitioning our foster child back home is not a fun place to be.

Dear Little One: A letter to our foster child.

Five Reasons YOU Could Be A Foster Parent: Hint: You don't need special skills!

Strength in the Journey: How we can do what we do.

We Can Do It: If you're not sure that you'd be able to be a foster family, think again.

Fostering: Being a Family : Why we do what we do.

Hand in Hand: Everyone could use a hand.

On Feeling Burdened: The hard part of fostering.

*Our adoption plans were put on hold and we have decided to become foster parents.  I share this timeline in case anyone has every considered adoption or fostering and would like to see a general timeline.*

Timeline
Jan 28, 2010: Received the adoption info package
Mar 26, 2010: Attended the one day education seminar
April 19, 2010: Mailed off application with reference list
April 27, 2010: Blood tests done
May 4, 2010: Ministry Prior Contact Check and TB skin test
May 5, 2010: Criminal Record checks done
May 6, 2010: Received the Adoptive Applicant Information Questionnaire
May 11, 2010: Filled out the `Risk Factors and Special Needs' form.  Louise is done the Adoptive Application Information package.  Gary says he will finish/start his this week:)
May 19, 2010: My dad personally drops off his reference form to HOPE
May 21, 2010: Gary has finished his Adoptive Application Information Package.  We will mail it out on Monday!!
May 28, 2010: Got the email that all of our documents are in and that their social worker is ready to assign someone to us!
June 16-18: Adoption Seminar
June 21, 2010: First meeting with our social worker
July 1, 2010: Gary meets with our social worker
July 2, 2010: Louise meets with our social worker (woohoo!! Halfway through the visits!)
July 21, 2010: Social worker comes to our home and we fit two visits into one!  The kids actually behaved while she was here...we just gave them a bunch of food to eat to keep them busy:)
August 9th, 2010: Had our final social worker visit.
August 12th, 2010: Our home study was edited by us and sent to the office for formatting.  We are trying to finish up our birth parent letters as mine is too long!
August 22nd, 2010: Finished and printed up our letters and picture package.
August 23rd, 2010: Signed and delivered our home study and birth parent package.  Paid our active fee.  WE ARE NOW OFFICIALLY ACTIVE!   We'll be able to remember this day because it is Gary's parents 42nd anniversary:)
Oct. 8th, 2010: Called and checked in.  No birth parents have looked at anyone's profiles in the last 6 weeks.
Nov. 29th, 2010: Emailed and found out that someone was presented our profile/birth letters earlier this month.  No idea what they thought about it!
March 24, 2011: Got an update.  Not much happening.  Many adoptive parents are waiting:)
October, 2011: Adoption put on hold.
January 7, 2012: Our Adoption Agency has closed down due to financial reasons.  Now we have to figure out if we can transfer all of our educational and home study components.
February 1, 2012: Our files have been transferred to the ministry for safekeeping.

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January 14, 2014: Read the Foster Parent Info Package and completed intake form on the phone.
March 11, 2014: Info session
March 31, 2014: Mailed in initial questionnaire
May 1, 2014: Social worker met with us in our home
May 3, 2014: Filled out the hugest application package ever
June 2, 2014: Had our physicals done over the past two weeks and Gary dropped off our application package at the ministry. PS Gary's blood pressure was awesome :)
Oct.-Nov. 2014: Mandatory Pre-Service Training (3.5 hours/week)
January 23, 2015: Received homework for our Home Study!  About 50 pages.
March-April 2015: Home Study (interviews in our home)
April 27th: Draft of our home study submitted from our social worker to her supervisor for approval.
May 20th: We've been approved!
June 27th: Registered for the final 53 hours of Foster Parent Education Training to take place in the fall.
Summer 2015: Our first foster child joined our family.