“I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny
sports car, wearing beautifully tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and
with long, perfectly manicured fingernails. I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the
wheels from taking kids to scout camp. I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my
shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbor’s children. I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails
from helping to weed someone's garden. I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my
cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder. I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really
lived.” ― Marjorie Pay Hinckley
This has long been one of my favorite quotes, and it pretty well sums up the new journey we are taking. Dear Husband and I have started training to become foster parents. It’s something we’ve considered doing for a very long time, and we’ve now arrived at the point where our family is ready for that. Several people have asked us why we want to do this, especially when we already have a busy home with three kids. Basically, the answer is that we can’t think of any really good reasons not to do it—not when there are so many kids who need help.
As
time permits, and without compromising confidentiality, I plan to document our
journey here. I hope it will help others who are interested in fostering.
If
you’ve ever considered becoming a foster parent, stop considering and just do
it. The first step is to go to an orientation meeting (follow this link https://www.azdes.gov/main.aspx?menu=102&id=1256,
then click on the link at the bottom of that page for a meeting schedule). At the orientation you’ll
get an overview of the foster care system and a list of licensing agencies.
Then you’ll choose an agency (more about that later), and begin training. The
training lasts 10-12 weeks, with one class per week.
We
have completed the first two classes, which have been more interesting than I
expected. You might want to bring a box of Kleenex though – some of the stories
you’ll hear are heart wrenching. But I believe there’s a lot of joy and love to
be found in this process – this surprise adoption, for instance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iexJtB57bkY.
