Hear from a Foster Parent

Hear from a foster parent: In honor of Foster Care Month, we had the opportunity to sit down with one of our foster parents, Alexia, to hear about her fostering journey.

Q: How long have you been a foster parent?

Alexia: "We have been foster parents for almost 2 years now!" 

Mark & Alexia

Q: What drew you to become a foster parent?

Alexia: "I wanted to be a foster parent since I was a child. I watched a member of my family become a foster parent and fell in love with a placement in their home. I knew from this point on that when I was old enough - I was going to be a foster parent. I was thankful to marry Mark who also had this desire and calling on his heart!"

Q: How has your experience been fostering with Encourage Foster Care? 

 Alexia: "Our fostering experience with Encourage has been excellent! We feel like we gained a family! We have several other Encourage families that we hang out with on a regular basis, and it is amazing to be able to have support from both the staff and other families in the agency!"

Q: How does your faith factor into your fostering journey?

Alexia: "Foster care is an act of surrender to the Lord. In my opinion, surrendering the life of a child is one of the biggest and hardest things to surrender and give to the Lord. Knowing that the Lord has their futures in his hands, and you don’t have to worry, is a very encouraging feeling. Being able to share the gospel with the children in our home and helping them discover who they are in Jesus makes all of the hard days worth it!"

First Friday Training

Q: How has Encourage equipped you to be a foster parent and care for your foster kiddos?

Alexia: "Encourage has provided us with the training that we need along with continued support when we need it!"

Q: What is the most challenging part of being a foster parent?

Alexia: "The most challenging part of being a foster parent is the first two weeks of placement when you are getting to know the child and the child is learning your family. Also, it is super challenging having to let them go when they go home to reunify and to trust the Lord has them in His hands." 

Q: What are some of your favorite parts about being a foster parent?

Alexia: "My favorite part is seeing how each child is unique and getting to help them grow and thrive in different areas of their life! I love being able to find the strengths of a child and help them dive into these!"

Q: What would you say to someone who is thinking of becoming a foster parent?

Alexia: "I would tell them that any reservations they have are valid, but the Lord can do amazing things if you just jump into it and decide that you going to go for it! Foster care is a rewarding experience for both the family and the child, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything." 

Alexia and Mark's precious foster children

Q: Is there something you feel most people don't know about foster care or perhaps have a misconception of?

Alexia: "Something that I didn’t understand about foster care until I joined Encourage was that our agency can accept placements of children from many counties! You don’t just have to take children from the county that you live in. Another misconception we hear often is that when you foster, you have to adopt the child in your home. If a child goes into permanent custody, you have this option, but it is not a requirement. Just because you foster a child also does not mean that they will go up for adoption. Some children become reunified with their parents."

Q: Anything else you would like to share?

Alexia: "If you are looking for a faith-based agency to gain a family for your support in this fostering journey, Encourage Foster Care is the place that you want to be!"

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You can hear more from our foster parents at fostertoo.com