“We never planned on being foster parents. We found Ready for Life for the purpose of adding to our family. I even said, “I will happily adopt, but I will never do foster care!” As we completed our training our hearts began to change. A phrase continually rang through my mind, “There is nothing more unnatural than removing a child from his/her parent.” It is necessary at times, most definitely, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s traumatic for a family.
We began to think about who we are as a family and the gifting’s we possess. Family has always been our number one priority. We have been told by others countless times that we make people feel safe instantly and that we welcome people into our family with ease. What a high compliment right? Could this gift we have be for us to give to children and families in crisis? We could no longer say no to foster care so we agreed to take ONE placement. That “YES” has changed our lives forever!
Will we still adopt a child or two or three one day? Maybe, Maybe not. For now, we find ourselves living in a community where families are in crisis! They need help and support. We have been given a gift, a gift of family where anyone who comes through our door feels safe and secure. How can we waste this gift?
We no longer can, so we say yes to any child that needs a home because we long to see healthy, thriving families be the norm in Shasta County. We have seen one family restored already. Our yes to do something that terrified us, brought a family back together. Do we miss those children? Of course, but we do what we do for them, for their family. It’s not about us and if our hearts break when they go home to their family, we know we have done WELL! Ready for Life is changing the lives of children in our community. We are so thankful to be a part of this “family.”