Becoming a foster parent? Pro's/cons?

[SOLOMONS PORCH]

Just wanting to hear any testimonies of others that may have been a foster parent or have been in the past. Good or bad I would love to hear your story as to help aid in the decision making process.......thanks in advance God Bless

[Ezra]

There are no "cons" about being a foster parent as opposed to being a regular parent. If a couple is unable to have children, they would be wise to adopt children and treat them as their own. Sorry, no personal anecdotes.

[Heavenunlimited]

I agree with this. In my childhood one of my best friends (they always lived neighbor to us) had five to seven foster children in various ages. One even had mental health issues. They made quite a good living on that and the social services/government paid them alot of money. It then enabled the mother to go home and they lived quite luxurious. Even the father went home only to do something on the side. I dont recommend that but the children had it good, except they used them to do all work, and madew a difference on them and their real child.  But the children were safe and well taken care of otherwise. It definitely saved their mental health, as they came from abusive backgrounds. 

Then we have my best friend and her sister that are still my best friend, they are adopted from Korea. They came to my country as four five year old as the parents couldnt take care of them. They were given everything materially, but not much love. But im grateful they came, they really saved me, when i had it bad at home. How did they manage? Well they had language issues and behavioral problems from what theyve experienced back home and the separation from the parents. As they were older. So babies probably do better. Or children that are younger. They wished theyve been younger so theyve got used to it better. They also had problems with growth as they had not been given too much food, as poverty. So, many times you have to take into account behavioral or mental problems with older children. It can be overcome with the right parents often. 

I dont know if you can use this but it is experiences what adoptive parents go through or how it can be like.

[Jaydog1976]

We are looking into foster care. We have a family in,church that foster children. Most foster children come from,abusive homes or horrible home lives in general. Most foster children have parents that are trying to get their lives together. While the parents are getting themselves together their children are taken and,put into the foster care system.

These kids need true love shown to them. However no all foster parents are good. Some just want the stipend and tax credits, others abuse them no differently than their real parents while other love them as their own kids. For example the friends of ours got a child from another foster home and the child was not taken care of. He had lice and had no clothes with him. 

It's a sad situation for them because they can be passed from home to home. Sometimes they get adopted by loving parents, other times they go back to their real parents and sometimes they go through their whole pre adult lives bouncing from home to home.

It's a ministry opportunity if good Christian people are willing to step out and show these kids what real love is all about. 

You have to do the research to find the pros and cons. Unlike your own kids foster care kids come with baggage attached. 

My wife and I are going to take the classes coming up in a couple of months to see what all is involved. 

[Heavenunlimited]

Another friend of mine that comes from a christian home she got pregnant outside marriage, she wasbt able to take care of her son so a christian couple took care of him. She could visit him anytime, and they had good contact. The son is an adult now and said that saved his life growing up in a stable, loving, two parent home, with all needs met. Hes happy his mother did the right thing for him and they have good contact. 

[SOLOMONS PORCH]

Thanks guys keep em coming if you will this really helps !!!! Even would love to hear from children that were fostered.........GOD BLESS !!!

[Leonardo Von]

13 hours ago, SOLOMONS PORCH said:

Just wanting to hear any testimonies of others that may have been a foster parent or have been in the past. Good or bad I would love to hear your story as to help aid in the decision making process.......thanks in advance God Bless

Dear sister Solomons Porch,

 

Grace and mercy and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Adopting an orphan child really is a blessing. We can see, throughout Holy Scripture, various instructions about helping the orphan. However, adopting a child who has been abandoned by parents is wrong. After all, when the Eternal placed the children in the life of the parents it is because He wants to use them as an instrument to minister personally in the lives of the children. And if we want to help a child like this, what we should do is pray and seek in the Eternal the reconciliation of parents with their children, as is characterized by the ministry of Elijah that preceded and will precede the return of Christ:

 

·        “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” (Malachi 4.5,6).

 

May Jesus teach us the correct way to help each one that He brings to us.

[SOLOMONS PORCH]

2 hours ago, Leonardo Von said:

n. However, adopting a child who has been abandoned by parents is wrong.

???????? i do not understand why you say this would you explain please........thank u

[SOLOMONS PORCH]

1 hour ago, Yowm said:

James 1:27 KJVS
[27] Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Seems like foster care of children would apply as well.

 

Amen I agree......thank you Yowm.....God Bless

[Neighbor]

There is another benefit. I speak from exposure to distant family by way of marriage.

Bee and her husband fostered 57 kids raising most of them  and adopted 4. They were the busiest little household. The husband a hard working trucker .

The benefit?  All those people running around a household shared with one another,  plus with any stranger that came into the home. Fact, one was never a stranger when visiting there. They all shared of the love of our Lord Jesus.

  When I arrived they fed me, introduced me to what seemed like a whole campus of individuals, found  a room for me with a family that had been fostered by this couple. That couple treated us like long lost  rich relatives, lavishing their time and attention on us.

 

And now as  a relative close to me has need in his very old age, two of the foster children  and a daughter of one have come to stay and care for him. They will stay until he dies and then  go on their way back to their community.

They so appreciate kindness that they will share of it. Actually sacrifice to share of it.  

The benefit is the love spreads through the generations.