What does it take to be a foster parent? Well, I'd say the number ONE quality you will NEED is FLEXIBILITY.
Let me give you an example.
A couple weeks ago I got a call from my certifier at 4pm on a Friday afternoon.
This is the classic time for DHS to call in a panic because of the coming weekend.
I was picking my kids up from their PE class and waiting out in the Raichart Super Shuttle (a.
k.
a.
BIG white BUS) with the two little ones.
My certifier say's, "Hi!...
long pause...
um, would you be willing to take in a few kiddos JUST for the weekend until we can find a place that will work?" I say, "What are we talking here?".
"Well, she says, I have a sibling group of 7 that just got pulled from their home about an hour ago and we're trying to keep them together as much as possible.
There are a set of twin 2 year olds..
..
(um NO! 4 under the age of 2 is past my patience level!!)..
...
or how about a 7 year old boy and his 17 year old brother?" Well, if you know us,we're suckers for teens! So I say, "Ok, just for the weekend though!!".
By this time, my other 4 kiddos are climbing in the car and I'm giving them a "come on kids, let's get home quick and get the house ready for 2 more boys..
..
they'll be here in a few hours!!" Mostly this meant, finding the floor in the boys' room...
just being honest.
I also made a quick call to Tad to let him know there'd be 2 more heads at the table that night.
He appreciates me letting him know in advance that we'll have extras so he can mentally prepare on his way home.
(sometimes I've been known to open the door and say, "Hi honey! This is so and so, they live with us now"..
..
) I digress.
We got the house cleaned, beds made and sent out prayer requests for the new boys we'd be getting.
We were told we'd get a call from their caseworker soon and she'd let us know when they'd be here.
We waited and waited and waited.
No call.
Our kids always look forward to new placements - this is their world and they love having new kids come.
I told the kids, "Well, worst case scenario is that we have the house clean for the weekend and clean sheets.
" This really was a bonus.
But still no call after 7 pm.
Apparently they had found another home where they could keep more of the kids together in a placement.
And because it was probably a little crazy for the caseworker, she forgot to call us and let us know.
Oh well.
That's how it goes in the ministry of Foster Care..
...
gotta be flexible!
Let me give you an example.
A couple weeks ago I got a call from my certifier at 4pm on a Friday afternoon.
This is the classic time for DHS to call in a panic because of the coming weekend.
I was picking my kids up from their PE class and waiting out in the Raichart Super Shuttle (a.
k.
a.
BIG white BUS) with the two little ones.
My certifier say's, "Hi!...
long pause...
um, would you be willing to take in a few kiddos JUST for the weekend until we can find a place that will work?" I say, "What are we talking here?".
"Well, she says, I have a sibling group of 7 that just got pulled from their home about an hour ago and we're trying to keep them together as much as possible.
There are a set of twin 2 year olds..
..
(um NO! 4 under the age of 2 is past my patience level!!)..
...
or how about a 7 year old boy and his 17 year old brother?" Well, if you know us,we're suckers for teens! So I say, "Ok, just for the weekend though!!".
By this time, my other 4 kiddos are climbing in the car and I'm giving them a "come on kids, let's get home quick and get the house ready for 2 more boys..
..
they'll be here in a few hours!!" Mostly this meant, finding the floor in the boys' room...
just being honest.
I also made a quick call to Tad to let him know there'd be 2 more heads at the table that night.
He appreciates me letting him know in advance that we'll have extras so he can mentally prepare on his way home.
(sometimes I've been known to open the door and say, "Hi honey! This is so and so, they live with us now"..
..
) I digress.
We got the house cleaned, beds made and sent out prayer requests for the new boys we'd be getting.
We were told we'd get a call from their caseworker soon and she'd let us know when they'd be here.
We waited and waited and waited.
No call.
Our kids always look forward to new placements - this is their world and they love having new kids come.
I told the kids, "Well, worst case scenario is that we have the house clean for the weekend and clean sheets.
" This really was a bonus.
But still no call after 7 pm.
Apparently they had found another home where they could keep more of the kids together in a placement.
And because it was probably a little crazy for the caseworker, she forgot to call us and let us know.
Oh well.
That's how it goes in the ministry of Foster Care..
...
gotta be flexible!