Foster Care is challenging and so is adoption. You never know the roads in journey until you are on them. Every age has struggles and no one is perfect. No age is better than the other. “I want an infant” or “I want a teen” is really the wrong thought to start with. I want to love a child and help a child make a better way in life.
Believe me when I say…you may want to give up. There are moments of heartache, feeling like you aren’t appreciated, the moment of giving up, etc. But when you stop and think about it children who have experienced certain traumas may not understand and each child has their own struggle in their minds. Is it really fair just to give up and walk away and do what they have been trying to get so far from? Absolutely not!
Allow time for healing for the child. Allow them to be who they are and provide a safe, unconditionally loving, family structure. Seeing life through the eyes of a child that has experienced trauma will be difficult for anyone, even of you have had your own trauma. Having an open mind and heart is a must have.
Have you been ripped away from your parent(s)? Family torn apart? Abused? Neglected? Hopeless? Depressed? Stressed? Suicidal? What’s your story? No story is ever the same and my heart is broken every time a child expresses or tells their story. The pain in their eyes and voices are piercing and make you feel so helpless in those moments.
Reminder we all can be encouragers, supporters, and comforters during these difficult moments. We can help each child rise above the past and build a new future on a more solid foundation. Avoid the cracks in the road, stay on the best path, and repair the road when it is completely broken in two. Support them in their journey wherever that may lead them.
Leftwich Blend 