“He ran from me, crying and frightened. ’What has he been through? What has he seen? Can I do this?’ God sent him to tell me I COULD do this. It’s not an easy calling, but I am living God’s word.”
‘He’s a biter. Will you take him?’ He was dropped off with nothing but the clothes on his back. By the time he left, he called me ‘Mom.’: Single foster mom shares journey, ‘I was made for this’
‘I can’t foster. I’m a single mom!’ I dropped my daughter off at school and the phone rang. It was just the beginning.’: Mom becomes foster parent, ‘My singleness was a gift’
“Never in a million years did I think I’d be taking on foster care. ’Would you welcome in a 12-year-old girl?’ She was just 3 months older than my daughter.”
‘You think I’m a monster.’ What they’d been through was horrifying. Mom cried, the tears where you can’t breathe.’: Foster mom fights for reunification, ‘Their mom is the bravest person I’ve met’
“I saw their eyes when others asked them why they had a white mom, their faces as they kept justifying their family for the rest of their lives. ‘Of course the boys will always have a place with me, but this isn’t the end. You have to fight.’”
‘Can I stay?’ I had 5 under 5. I wasn’t ready. I thought she deserved better. But there was nowhere else.’: Woman adopts 17-year-old from foster care, ‘We said YES’
“I got a call. ‘I know you don’t do teens, but I have this girl.’ Her one wish was to not spend another birthday in the system. I had just taken in a newborn, but I couldn’t say no.”
‘Can you take in a 9-month-old baby?’ A single twenty-something, I said yes to ‘a few weeks.’ I was prepared for temporary.’: Single woman becomes foster, adoptive mom to siblings
“I was supposed to be the short-term shelter in the storm. I had no intentions of permanency. Dead-set on only taking one kiddo at a time, I got a second call. ‘Can you take in his newborn baby brother? He was born premature.’ Suddenly, all my ‘rules’ went out the window.”
‘How can you waste the best years of your life fostering children?’ People questioned if I’d find a husband.’: Single foster mom says ‘these children are worth it’
“This sweet little 3-year-old also had a 2-year-old sister. They were looking to have them adopted together. ‘How could I adopt just ONE?’ I decided to drown out the noise of others.”
‘We don’t have a dad here.’ I scrambled how to respond. I was by myself, thrown head first into parenting.’: Single mom fosters 18 children, adopts son, ‘Our heartbreak is worth it’
“I went from getting licensed to being a single parent almost immediately. I was in over my head. Together, we are conquering his demons.”
‘She was a homeless, single teen mom who aged out of foster care. She had 6 kids and was the same age as me! My heart broke.’: Single woman fosters 36 kids, adopts 2 children into ‘forever family’
“I made sure the case worker knew I spoke Spanish. I wanted him to have a familiar culture and language. ‘We have a baby boy at the hospital who is ready to be discharged. He is Hispanic. Are you willing to take him?’ This was the moment these 25 years and Spanish classes had prepared me for! I walked into the hospital with an empty stroller, and came out with a forever son.”
‘I felt sheer terror. ‘Are you scared off yet?’ I knew if I met him, I wouldn’t say no. This is what I signed up for.’: Single mom adopts medically complex baby with Down syndrome, ‘I knew he was mine’
“I thought he was going to die that day. I put my life on hold to be there for him every day and night. I knew he was mine.”
‘My husband decided to leave. ‘You won’t get a newborn because you’re single.’ I listened to the heartbreaking situations.’: Woman becomes foster mama after divorce, ‘My life is full of beauty’
“I sat my two children down and we had a conversation about foster care. I told them, ‘It will be hard to love on a baby and then have to say goodbye.’ They were both in.”
