This month marks our second birthday as foster parents. Two years. Wow. That’s crazy. So much has happened in two years that it seems like a lifetime ago that we were waiting for our first kiddo to come home. Here are some numbers from our two years as foster parents.
- 8 placements
- 5 boys
- 3 girls
- 5 kids whose name starts with “J”
- 3 infants
- 1 toddler
- 4 preschoolers
- 2 sets of siblings
- 1 set of twins
- 13 respite placements
- 5 boys
- 8 girls
- 1 middle schooler
- 6 grade schoolers
- 2 preschoolers
- 1 infant
- 47 home visits
- 2 annual unannounced visits
- 58 hours of training
- 2 conferences
- 30 hours PSMAPP class
- 2 support groups
- 2 CPR classes
- 1 online training that took forever
- 23 court hearings
- 17 WIC appointments
- 12 FSRP workers
- 2 license renewals
- 6 family team meetings
- 8 DHS workers
- 2 adoption specialists
- 6 case managers
- 3 support workers
- 4 hospital stays
- 6 Guardian ad litems
- 1 CASA volunteer
- 3 judges
- 1 BHIS worker
- 1 family lawyer
- 3 reunifications
- 13-number of times I have rearranged our “kid room”
- 2 cribs currently up in our home
- 9 car seats or boosters in our shed
- 1 adoption pending
- Lots and lots of visits with bio parents
- 2 case plan changes
- Uncountable items: phone calls, text messages, emails
- Unimaginable amount of paperwork
- Insane amount of diapers
- Many times our hearts were broken
- Countless moments of joy
Foster care has been the hardest thing we have ever done. In some ways, fostering has shaped our world view’s as adults and as a married couple. Our hearts have been broken, but we have come out stronger. Being a foster parent has taught me what resilience looks and feels like. It has taught me to never stop fighting for what you believe in. Foster parenting has also shown me what true unconditional love looks like. Next month, we become legal parents for the first time. I can’t begin to tell you how happy that makes us. I never forget the kids that leave…..cutie pie, half pint, the twins, little bear, and little cub come to my mind often. They were all worth the pain and trial.
Here’s to forever and continuing our foster care journey!
Koko