This personal account was written and shared by adoptive parent Andy Meyers, Agape Adoption Agency’s Intake & Outreach Specialist.
Everybody can do something.
A few years ago, I heard this phrase from well-known foster care advocate and speaker, Jason Johnson. It landed on me that in the foster world, sometimes there’s this feeling of if you’re not “all in” and actively taking in children, that you’re not engaged in the process and not doing enough. It’s interesting how the shaming language of “not enough” can permeate almost every aspect of life, but that’s another post for another day.
There are some families who are definitely called and willing to open their homes to children in trauma. That is absolutely awesome, and we need you! There are also people who care deeply and wish to be the support for these families. That is equally awesome, and we also need you!
If you’re reading this post and thinking, what can I do to help support foster care families? I have three simple ideas for what you can offer:
- Food. We all need to eat. As a father of teenagers, I realize this fact even more. When a new baby is born to a couple, the casserole brigade fires up and that family is fed via meal trains for quite a while. What if we treated every new foster child placement into a home the same way? When you hear of your friend receiving a new foster child, no matter the age, you could organize a week’s worth of dinners for them while they adjust to their new normal. This will mean the world to them and you’ll know that you’re part of making a difference for this child and family.
- Stuff. When a child comes into foster care, they typically have only the clothes on their back and those might not even be wearable. Host a gift card drive for your friends who are actively taking in children. Gift cards to Amazon, Wal-Mart, Target, Old Navy, Fry’s or whatever grocery store or big box- everything store will be extremely helpful when they need to run get diapers, a car seat, clothes, shoes, or even a backpack to start ninth grade at a brand new school. This will mean the world to them and you’ll know that you’re a part of making a difference for this child and family.
- Time. Whether that foster family is a couple or single adult, they need self-care (or couple-care). In the State of Arizona, if you would trust someone with your own child, you can trust them for short amounts of time with a child in foster care. Offer that couple or individual a free night out, or a few hours one afternoon, to simply recharge. Fostering is one of the hardest and most rewarding things someone can do and they need time to reconnect with each other or to remind themselves that they’re ok and not just defined by this role. This will mean the world to them and you’ll know that you’re a part of making a difference for this child and family.
These are just a few of the many ways to support foster care families, because just like Jason Johnson says, “Everybody can do something.”
