Fostering children. If you care, if you can, you should. Our story…

Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.

Hello. Todays post is not about internet marketing at all, (check out my other posts for all that good stuff!), this article is about fostering children.

Today I wanted to share with you the concept of fostering. My wife and I have now been foster parents for over 10 years, and have had a number of children become part of our family for varying amounts of time.

Children that are in need of fostering all come from difficult family situations (or there wouldn’t be a need for foster parents!) and we do our best to provide a stability that these children can truly rely on.

There is a great need for good families these days and unfortunately, many people who could do fostering, don’t, for any number of reasons.

There is such a profound level of help that you can give as a foster parent, and really assist a young person to grow up and get their bearings in life, despite the difficult situations they have to face.

Being a stable couple I believe is a great plus in this activity, and  being married for 31 years already and our own three sons grown up and having children of their own, allowed us to foster.

Being a part of someone’s growing up.

I can look back on the lives that we have shared a part of and be very happy with the success that these children and young adults have achieved. I can also attest to the fact that fostering has truly been a part of our own personal development. When you share the life of someone else in this way, you have to grow bigger as an individual. You have to be able to be there for someone who believes that no-one loves them, not even their own parents. That is not an easy task.

My wife is evidently the major force in this realm and has completed a whole training line-up related to fostering and is very well considered by the contacts we deal with. Our emphasis for everyone has always been to bring out the best in people and help them discover their talents and overcome their weaknesses. We do all we can to help children become autonomous capable individuals with their education top of the list of priorities.

My wife and I are a very positive couple and we understand the fragility of childhood and the need for people whom you can rely on, even when your own parents are letting you down. Some children who have been fostered themselves can become excellent foster parents for others, having truly experienced the need and the ultimate level of helpfulness of this endeavor.

Notice I don’t say ‘job’. It’s not a job, and if you have the idea that it is you’ll mess things up for everyone. Unfortunately, I have met some “foster parents” who I sincerely wouldn’t wish any child to have to put up with, but the lack of willing and capable people leaves the authorities sometimes little choice unfortunately.

So, I wanted to put out this request to all happy stable families who would be willing to share their home with someone in real need of the love and social cohesion that a true family provides.

If you can, please consider fostering a child for their benefit. Our worlds children need to be properly cared for, and not “left to the authorities to handle”. I’ve seen a few state run children’s homes and nothing can compare to a real family who truly cares for you as a child.

Contact me if you want to know more.

Thank you for listening.

Perhaps my article might kindle some sparks to encourage more people to say “Yes, I’ll foster a child”.

Jeremy Feldmesser AKA Jeremusic