Zero to Three: One Local Family’s Foster Care Journey

When we first started our foster care journey, we were not sure what to expect. We tried to keep an open mind and vowed that, no matter what happened, we would always stay focused on what was most important—the needs of the kids who would be in our care. We had planned to ease into foster care with one child (maybe two), but after a middle-of-the-night phone call we ended up with a sibling group of three precious kids. Going from zero to three overnight was an extreme learning curve! There was a lot of change for us as well as for them. However, it was all worth it to see how much these kids were growing and bonding to us with each passing day.

One day the kids had a visit with their maternal grandmother, and after the visit, she talked about how much her “grandbabies” had changed. She commented about how they were so much healthier and happier. Hearing these comments from a biological family member was the icing on the cake for us. We knew that even when these children returned to their biological family, we had made an impact for the better.

Five short months later the day came for them to move to a relative and it seemed like they were gone as quickly as they had arrived. We did our best to recover from it all and made peace with knowing that we might never see them again. While we were heartbroken to see them leave, we knew that there were other kids in foster care who needed the love and safety that our home could provide.

In the months that followed, we cared for several other kids. Some were with us for a very short time, others longer, but no matter the length of time, we did our very best to stay focused on the needs of the kids – the need for care, the need for safety, the need for stability, the need for love. We have learned that sometimes people make bad choices, and their kids end up paying a price. As foster parents, we are there to help those children and, when we can, we want to help their parents get through the tough times too. We are there to support that family and child through the trauma of it all. We are there to provide a safe and healthy environment for those children to grow and learn and feel the love that they so deeply deserve.

Being a foster parent is a hard and emotional roller coaster. However, it is all worth it when you know you have done your very best to care for a child and provide them with a place to call home, no matter how brief it may be. Each and every child who has come into our home has been loved unconditionally and brought so much joy to our lives. Deciding to become foster parents was intimidating but it was the best decision we have ever made. We know not all days will be good ones, but the good far outweigh the bad.

Not long ago, we got another middle-of-the-night call asking if we had room to take the three kids back who were our very first placement. The timing could not have been more perfect because we had just had another child in our care return home that same day. When they walked back into our home it was like they had never left. Like the five months between their placements with us were five minutes. After spending 483 days in foster care, they recently became a permanent part of our family through adoption. Adding them to our family was one of the best days of our lives. These three amazing children we loved so much had somehow found their way home.

There is a need for caring foster parents in the San Luis Valley. Becoming a licensed foster parent helps make sure kids in foster care don’t have to leave our community. If you are interested in doing this important work, contact Hope & Home to learn more about becoming a foster parent.

Hope & Home is hosting a foster parent info night on Saturday, October 23, 2021, for anyone interested in fostering or supporting people who are. This event is free and open to the community. The event will be held at Hope & Home, 605 3rd Street, Alamosa, CO 81101 from 6:30pm-8:30pm and light refreshments will be served. If you’ve considered fostering, please join us – there are children who need you!

You can call Hope & Home at 719-575-9887 or email [email protected].