Since becoming a foster parent in 2017, I have had many people come to me for guidance about foster care and adoption based on my professional and personal experience in this area. My husband and I have talked to many couples over dinner and coffee about how to become a foster/adoptive parent in the state of Texas. I believe one on one conversation is the best way to get someone to understand the full picture of foster care and adoption, but I began to wonder: “What about a blog that includes my professional and personal experience? Can that touch lives? Could this bring more people to serve in this incredibly needed area?” God continued to tug on my heart, and as I shared more about my experience, I believed I could do more for this community.
So, my new blog “Fostering with Love” is my passion for foster care and adoption expressed in written form. I want to be able to inspire and educate people on the foster care and adoption process (from beginning to end), while providing a chance to bring someone closer to making a decision about serving in this capacity. God has blessed me by allowing me to serve on two sides of the many sides of foster care and adoption, and I want to share that passion with the world.
So a few things as I move forward with this blog…
What makes YOU so qualified to give out information and experience?
Well, to be totally up front and honest, I am no expert. Not even close. But I am a Licensed Master Social Worker with 4.5 years of professional experience in the foster care and adoption field. And then the cherry on top is that since leaving the social work field to be a stay at home mom, I am now a foster/adoptive parent myself. I feel I have a unique view of foster care and adoption. My hope is that this blog helps inspire and educate people to become a foster or adoptive parent, support those who are already foster parents through my shared experience, or inspire people to support/serve someone they know who is a foster/adoptive parent.
Only domestic foster care and adoption?
Yes! Unfortunately, I do not know much at all about the policies and procedures surrounding international adoption. The agency I worked for only focused on CPS adoption and voluntary domestic adoption.
What should I expect?
My goal is the inspire and educate those around me about foster care and adoption, how to become one, the ups and the downs, as well as why it’s important that we have foster and adoptive parents. My hope is to post weekly about something new regarding foster care and/or adoption.
To follow me along this journey to inspire and educate those around us about foster care and adoption, click the “Follow” button at the bottom of the screen.
– Melinda
FOSTERING WITH LOVE 