I want to become a foster parent. Now what?

Making the decision to become a foster parent was easy for me. Every since I was a teenager, I have always known that this would be something I would do. There were a few hurdles for me in taking the next steps:

1. Being Financially Sound
2. Having the "Space"
3. Having the Time/Energy
4. Being Ready Emotionally
5. Figuring out the System

The truth is, items #1 - #3 have not been an issue for me in the past few years. I have a 3-bedroom house that I share with my furry family, my two cats & two dogs. I am doing well financially when I budget correctly (still working on planning for the unexpected). Also, I have plenty of spare time each week.

It was #4 "Being Ready Emotionally" that held me up from moving forward. I didn't feel prepared to take on the immense responsibility of a child. I had my own issues, how can I help someone else? My family issues escalated in the past few years and I felt it was my responsibility to help take care of that. I had issues about how I felt about myself, where I was headed, and what I wanted out of life. I hadn't quite figured it all out or how all the puzzle pieces fit together.

I've always always wanted to build my own family. I always imagined it would be through traditional means - meet a great guy, fall in love, get married, have bio children, foster/adopt kids. However, my life has never led me down a path to have that happen for me. When life didn't follow this plan, I thought I'd develop a "Plan B". Plan B would be having my own baby through alternative methods and build my family that way. Something about that just didn't feel right in my heart. Seemed a bit selfish in a way since there are so many kids already born into the world with no one to love them or provide for them. I'm not implying that everyone that decides to pursue alternative birth methods are "selfish". This only applies to me - how it felt inside of my heart. By no means is it a generalization to the general public. Everyone has a different path and I believe this is mine.

Last month, everything seemed to fall into place. Maybe, just maybe, everything in my life happened for a reason to get me where I am today. The way I grew up, my family dynamics, having another family take me in, etc. If I had everything that I ever wanted, or thought I wanted, out of life - I probably wouldn't be in the position that I am in today or be willing to take in a foster child or adopt. "Everything happens for a reason."

Once I was ready emotionally to take on this responsibility, I had to deal with #5 "Figuring out the System." A few years ago I reached out to a local agency and attended an orientation meeting for Fostering/Adopting. I completed the interest form and returned it to an agency. They called me back and we played phone tag for a few days - then the communication stopped. No word from them. At the time, I had some some family issues going on so it was easy to just stop the process and not pursue any further.

This time around, there was nothing stopping me. I pulled out a listing of agencies and called one that certified for both Foster/Adoption (since I'm still deciding which direction to go). Amazingly, I received a call back within a few hours! Through the phone conversation, I figured out Step #1: Attend an Orientation Meeting. I also received an email (same day) with the orientation dates. I was extremely impressed with their responsiveness and relieved that I was in contact with this particular agency. I added the next orientation date to my calendar.

Everything felt like it was falling into place. I had the means, space, and time. I was emotionally ready to move forward in the process. Now, I was in contact with an agency that was responsive and I had set-up a time to attend the Orientation - the first step in the process. :)