“Who would be calling at this time of night? ‘Would you be interested in taking them?’ Your heart quickens and your breath deepens, both to an uncomfortable level. ‘Three kids? Really?’ You feel obligated to say yes.”
‘Can you take 3 siblings?’ You question yourself. Am I in over my head? Don’t let the pain stop you.’: Foster mom gives tips on how to be successful, ‘Love is what defines a family’
‘One line. Please, one line.’ I was 17, peeing on a stick in a McDonald’s bathroom. 3 minutes later, two pink lines showed my fate. Pregnant.’: Single teen mom becomes twin mom, birth mom, adoptive mom, and stepmom, now mom of 8
“The ultrasound tech made a funny face. ‘I’ll be right back.’ Moments later, she entered with another technician. ‘See this?’ she said. ‘This is baby A, and this is baby B.’ TWINS? From a one-night stand? I was 6 months pregnant when I came home from school to my dad wanting to talk. ‘Mom and I think you should give this child away.’ I was angry, heartbroken, and completely beside myself. 13 days later, I found myself in a courtroom.”
‘She is my BABY! You can’t take her!’ I felt like I was being choked. We knew we had to do something.’: Mom writes emotional letter to foster baby, ‘I won’t ever forget you’
“’Is your family open to adoption?’ My heart felt so FULL! For that time, you were ‘OURS.’ Then, one day it all came crashing down. It was like a nightmare. ‘By the way, I’m going to come and pick the baby up tomorrow.’”
‘We met the birth mom. ‘Come to the hospital to greet your daughter.’ Days later, I got an email: ‘Your birth mother has been located.’: Adoptee adopts child from birth mom and foster care, becomes birth mother
“My birth mother abandoned me. Months later, my new parents were given a picture. ‘This is your daughter now.’ When I met Danny, we both had this deep longing. ‘Let’s adopt!’ I opened my search for my biological family. 3 weeks after the adoption agency told us ‘it will take years for a child,’ we received the call that changed everything. A brave mama was waiting for us.”
‘You’re meant to have a daughter.’ If I heard I’d have another son, I’d move on. We had a decision to make.’: Family fosters to adopt brother/sister pair, ‘They are ours forever’
“We saw signs everywhere. ‘What if I told you coming home to your boys was only PART of your purpose?’ We knew she was coming. It was a shock, but we were going to move forward.”
‘MOM, why did you say no!? We want that kid to come here!’ We fell in love. and it wasn’t hard or forced or even on purpose.’: Mom’s long foster journey leads to adoption, ‘It wasn’t a dream anymore. This was real’
“My jaw dropped when I saw your little face. ‘Why did you give me a baby who seems like my own?’ It didn’t seem fair to have to give you back. This was only supposed to be a seven-day thing.”
‘An older woman came up to me in Publix. ‘Wow, those boys are lucky to have been chosen by a white woman.’ I was shocked into silence.’: Foster mom to twins urges ‘we need to do better’
“I didn’t know how to respond. I just looked at her, shocked into silence. The night I got my foster twins, I knew our life would look different to others. I knew there would be stares. But I wasn’t fully prepared for the comments that would unfold.”
‘We have a 3-year-old boy. His mother is homeless. No one will take him.’ Our jaws fell open. ‘We’ll be at your house in 30 minutes!’: Couple adopt 4 children from foster care, co-parent with birth mom
“We packed up all his belongings, drove him to his mother’s apartment, and said goodbye. Later, we received a call from the birth mom: ‘Can he come live with you again?’ One month turned to two, two to four. ‘Do you want to apply for joint custody?’ We had to explain to our little boy he was stuck with THREE parents forever! God had put us in each other’s lives for a reason.”
‘She told my foster dad, ‘It’s either THEM. Or it’s ME. Pick.’ He stuffed our clothes into trash bags and dropped us off at CPS.’: Woman finds forever father after abandoned by foster dad, ‘He chose to love ME’
“When I was 5, I woke up one morning and noticed no one was home. Soon, I heard a knock at the door. The police sat us down. ‘Your mother and step-father have passed.’ Now, here we were, put back into the system. Off to more foster homes. ‘I don’t want them,’ he told CPS. I’ll forever be thankful for the man who gave me a chance. He was young. He had never met me. But he chose ME.”
‘I was single with a big, empty house. I had so much love to offer! ‘Can you take in a 10-month-old baby?’ A lightbulb went off.’: Single woman embarks on emotional foster mom journey, ‘I’d repeat it all over again’
“I buckled baby J into his seat and gave him a quick kiss. ‘I’ll see you later.’ The lump in my throat was painful as ever. I turned away to see J’s brother crying. I absolutely lost it. I panicked, trying to catch my breath. I went from being a mom to no longer being a mom in a matter of minutes.”
