The most common things that I hear foster parents say they
need:
1. Emotional support and encouragement
2. A break every now and then (a chance to go on a date with
their spouse)
3. Help with clothes, toys and basic physical needs as kids of
different ages often come with very short notice
4. Advice and support regarding parenting an abused child
Wouldn’t it be amazing if every foster family had another
family that came alongside them in total support? Is that possible? This is a HUGE need. Could
you connect one on one with a family, be their respite (designated,
fingerprinted babysitter), or be a mentor for one of their kids? You could be
the cool “Aunt/Uncle” that takes the kids to a movie every now and then, or
watches them once a month while “Mom and dad” go on a date. This type of support provides the kids with
another stable, loving adult in their life, and another positive role model
while giving the foster parents the necessary time reconnect with one another
and recharge. This is how normal healthy extended families work; it would be
wonderful if one family at a time we could bring this normalcy to these kids.
The best example that I have seen of this is promoted by Help One Child, an "outreach to at-risk children both in and out of the foster care
system” that serve Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.
Go
through your kids’ closets and toy chests. When you learn of a
new foster parent in your community that has just received a child of a certain
age you may be able to make an enormous difference by offering some of these
things. I was given 30 minutes
notice before my first set of kids arrived at my doorstep at 11:30 at night. They only had the clothes on their back, and
for the youngest that meant her 5 yr old sisters footie pajamas, not even a
pair of shoes. Later, I was terrified to
discover that while I had one spare car seat (thought I was prepared) I didn't
have a booster seat for the 5yr old. Here, I desperately needed to take the
children shopping for clothes and I couldn't even leave my house until I had a
car seat! A dear friend gave me her daughter’s old one which absolutely saved
me in that moment, not only with the physical need but to feel less alone in
this endeavor. I’ll talk more tomorrow about how churches and community groups
can help to make this even easier for everyone.
If you own a business, consider providing some sort of discount
to foster families. Discounts are
offered to all different groups of people, why not foster families? It could be a small percentage or a buy 1 get
1 type of offer, whatever works for you. Every foster parent will have
paperwork from the county to identify his or her role and the reimbursement that
they receive for their kids barely covers basic expenses and doesn’t leave much
room for “extras.” If businesses could support these families with a little
discount that would enable them to take the kids for a nice haircut or take
them out just a bit more, it would be amazing.
Pray. Whether you have committed to come alongside a specific foster
family in total support or not, one way to support, often neglected, is the
power of prayer. Pray for these foster families and for the children that walk
through the doors of their home. Pray for healing for the kids that are
recovering from physical, mental, emotional and sexual wounds, the scars of
which may follow them well into adulthood.
These are a few,
immensely important ways that, as an individual or as a family, you can come
alongside and support specific foster families in your community. Beyond this
there are many organizations that you can get involved with that I’ll give
reference to later in this series. What do you think, are there other ways that individuals can support foster families in their community?
Tomorrow: How Churches
and Community Groups can Support Foster Families.
No comments:
Post a Comment