by Screwloose

Created on: February 13, 2009

Foster Parenting can be so rewarding and it can also be very challenging.

Having been a foster child myself in 6 different homes, I knew the importance of stability for these children. I had four hard to place children in my home, all of whom were either broken, promiscuous, runaways or mentally challenged. I had my work cut out for me.

Since I was single, I had to work for a living and also work so that I could provide for myself and my foster children. They did get 60 dollars a month for food, clothing etc. It was terrible. The state was not providing much at all for these children or to me to take care of them sufficiently. I had to work!

Foster Parenting is no different than being a parent to your own children. You need to have a lot of love and a lot of support or no one in this household would make it. Each child had their own special needs. I found the teenage girls the most challenging. Sneaking out at night, being promiscuous and putting themselves in so much danger. They were a handful.

It's not like you raise these children from birth and teach them right from wrong. These children were broken and I needed to help fix them. Being a foster parent in this household was a very difficult challenge. Some days I did not think I was going to make it

Imagine the distaste these children had in their mouths for anyone that wanted to be a parent to them . Its not like these children come to you with open arms. You can try to be a foster parent and fulfil these children's needs but some of their needs will never be met.

I found myself exhausted. Foster parenting has its rewards, but it also has its trials. At some point, your wondering what you got yourself into. Now taking care of easy to place children is no comparison to taking care of hard to place. It is a whole separate set of rules.

Being only 21 and going to college and working part time had a whole set of challenges on its own. I can't stress enough how critical it is to give these foster children all the love they need and how important it is to make your home safe.

You have to know that foster children come to you from all walks of life and your foster parenting has to adapt to that or you will never make it as a foster parent. I also had a 1 1/2 year old who needed a whole different set of rules.

The bottom line is you need to plan for foster children and know your own limitations. As I look back now, it was a miracle that I made it through being a foster parent but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

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