Foster a Teen
Be their Dream
Everyone Deserves a Home
Teens from hard places crave safety, acceptance, respect and unconditional love. They desire, and deserve, to be wanted and cherished just like infants, toddlers and elementary kids are in foster homes. There is a gap in many foster care programs for this age group due to the limited number of foster families willing to take placement of teenagers.
“One of my 17-year-olds on Mother’s Day wrote a note in a card that said: "Thank you for being the mother I have always wanted, but never had. I love you!" For me, things like that make it all worth it!”
– Melissa, an Encourage Foster Parent
Want to help but don’t think you’re ready to be a full-time foster or foster-to-adopt parent? Great news: There are several ways you can still get involved!
Do I have to be married? How long does the home study process take? Don’t foster children have lots of problems? Find the answers to your questions!
Teen Blog Series
4/3/23
4/3/23
4/3/23
Learn More About Becoming a Foster Parent!
You can teach them about trust. The main people these teenagers were supposed to be able to trust in life have proven untrustworthy, and you can change that. Give them a chance to trust someone before they get to a point of no return.
You may be the only family they ever have. You can be the one to watch them grow into adulthood, graduate college, go to college, get a job or get married and have children.
No one’s story is ever completely written or finished. Many of these teens feel their current situation of being unloved and unwanted is written in stone. Your love can begin to create a new future and help them believe they are WORTHY of love and protection.
Encourage is blessed to have some incredible foster families who have stepped up and said “yes” to teenagers.
You can hear from some of our foster parents in the blogs below.
There are many reasons to foster teens
You can be the home that they remember. Not because it was traumatic, or they were mistreated but because you showed Christ’s love and did not give up on them. You can be the first family to cook them dinner, help them with homework or simply listen to their needs. You can give them a glimpse of what a comfortable, supportive home is supposed to look like.
You can allow them to be…kids. A teenager in the foster system has most likely been through more than most people will face in their entire lives. They’ve had to grow up quickly and learned to fend for themselves, but even behind a rough exterior or the wall they put up, there’s still a kid there who didn’t get to experience the type of childhood that most parents want for their children.
