Did you watch A Home For The Holidays last night? I will admit that I did not. There were two reasons that I did not watch it, the first being my three kiddos were being so loud and unruly that I could not watch anything. The second reason was because I am emotionally pooped at the moment. I feared that it would have put me over the edge. For those that do not know, A Home For The Holidays is a program that ares right before Christmas on CBS. This was the 15th year that this program has been on. The purpose is to raise awareness for adoption/foster adoption.
Did you know that Babe Ruth, Malcolm X, Dave Thomas, Steve Jobs, Scott Hamilton, Melissa Gilbert and Faith Hill are all adopted... When I here negative comments about adopting children especially those in Foster Care it really makes me want to scream. I don't know about you but I think that list of names all turned into pretty incredible people. None of them had an easy start at life, as a matter of fact they all had it pretty tough from birth.
I understand Foster Care/Adoption can be intimidating, largely due to the miss information out there. Having adopted three children from Foster Care I realize it is not nearly as daunting as people make it out to be.
Is it a challenge? Yes
Is it emotionally exhausting? Yes
Is it frustrating? Yes
Is it rewarding? Yes
Does it fill your heart with love? Yes
Cant you answer all those questions the same way, when asked about traditional parenting? So whats the problem? I think it is easy for people to say that they have thought about doing it, or would really like to do it. When in reality they will never do it. You know what? That is o.k. not everyone makes a good Foster Parent. So if it is not for you, that is o.k.
For those that truly have thought about it and do have questions here is a link to some great information put out by the Dave Thomas Foundation.
Dave Thomas Foundation
One of the biggest misperceptions is that a biological parent can come after a child after the child has been adopted. That is not true... Once a child is legally free the birth parent cannot petition for their return.
Another large misperception has to do with the cost of adopting a Foster Child. Many think that it can be just as pricey as a private adoption. That also is not true. Generally the cost can go from $500 to $2,500. For parents that choose to adopt through Foster Care there is financial assistance. So most are refunded the money they spend on the adoption. I could go on and on...
In a season when we are all so busy being 'Thankful' for what we have I hope that we all spend a moment and think about the hundreds of thousands of children in the United States Foster Care System. Many legally free and hoping for a forever home for Christmas.
ILY!
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