Alice's Story

A second story today as we wrap up National Foster Care Month!

We have many wonderful families who become foster parents after raising their biological children. They find they have the space, and they already have the experience, too. Alice shares how her family chose this path when they became empty nesters.

Alice's Story

Eight years ago my husband and I began the empty nest phase. After all the years of attending activities with our children we discovered that we missed the busyness. Our youngest daughter and a friend encouraged us to look into foster care. We joined the PS-MAPP classes. Here we found our niche. We were able to fill our home with the sounds of children once again. In fact, the first two that arrived have never left.

In the eight years we have been blessed to parent them, we have seen them grow from frightened, malnourished youngsters into happy, content young teens. It wasn't an easy road; it fact, it was (and still is) full of potholes and challenges. We live in a world where an “I don't like that food” is a VICTORY, because this means a child has finally learned that they won't go hungry anymore. A night without waking up or crawling into bed with someone else means that “I feel safe." An “I'm sorry” is the result of a long fought battle of building trust. And a hug returned is a PRICELESS TREASURE.

- Alice