Fostering thoughts on Fostering

I am thinking about becoming a foster parent. I personally know someone who works within the foster care system and will help me out with this. He is a former client of mine and we have been emailing back and forth.

I wanted to become a foster parent a few years ago when a cute little boy named Monty came into my life. A lady at our old church was a foster parent and got a call one day for a newborn who was being released from the hospital that day. She immediately called me, knowing I had an in-home daycare, and asked if I had anything she could borrow for this baby. I had a bassinet, that was my son's and let her borrow that so he would have a place to sleep that night. I met her and instantly fell in love with this motherless child. Maybe I should give you some insight as to why this is close to my heart...I am adopted. For the first 3 days of my life, I did not have a mother. I layed in a hospital with no one to call mommy. I'm sure I got lots of attention from nurses and maybe my birth mother did hold me and spend time with me, but still...that's so sad. I'm sure I didn't know any better and I did receive the best parents in the world on my 3rd day of life...so, I guess it was worth the wait!!!!

Anyway, his name was Monty. He was so cute. In the months to come, I would take him home with me after church on Sunday afternoons, sometimes he would spend the night, and I waited my turn among all the other women to hold him during church. I just loved him. We all loved him. The whole church loved him. And when he was a little older, he got a great family!!! There were lots of prayers sent up for that little guy and they worked! I think about him every now and then.

Ok, so I have been thinking about this more seriously and although getting paid to help out with the expenses of having another child or children full time would be helpful, I did not realize how much you actually got paid. I can honestly say my first thoughts about this were that I would be an excellent foster parent because I'm a stay at home mom who runs her business (daycare) from home. What a perfect place/situation for a child. Well, in doing more research, I have found that I could foster two small children and make more than I do working. And if my child's biological "father" (who is SO undeserving of that title) starting paying support like is COURT ORDERED now...I would be doing very well. I'm thinking of it in the aspect of being able to be a real stay at home mom and getting to focus on homeschooling more, not being trapped inside the house all day and doing what my kids want to do instead of what I HAVE to do with the daycare job. I love my job, don't get me wrong, but never having to deal with sick kids, non paying parents and everything else that goes along with it, would be WONDERFUL!!!

Of course this is still very much in the early "thinking" stages and I'm praying about it and seeking the Lord's will. But, it would be great. Except for I think foster kids would be like pets...I would just keep collecting them and end up with 10 kids.

*Please pray for/with me regarding this decision*