Fostering

by Kami Cornwall

When my youngest son was born, my doctor - amid sewing my body back together - began listing the various things wrong with my lady-innards. I had been through four pregnancies and only two survived. I knew where he was going with this. My newest little bundle of joy almost didn't make it...twice.

"So, you're saying I'm done?" I was elated at the news. Of course, I was lying on the hospital bed leaving my life in the hands of three other human beings. One was controlling my heartbeat, the other two had just pulled a nine pound boy out of my stomach.

"Yeah, you probably shouldn't try to do this again. Some women are built to birth babies. You aren't one of them."

"Great! I don't want to be here ever again. Trust me." My husband and I have been great with that decision. Still are. We agreed if we felt like we were missing a child we would adopt.

A few years later I began to realize there was a need for foster parents out there. A friend of mine had temporarily taken on a few boys to go trick-or-treating and they were so grateful for the experience of having a nice family for a day. It made me sad to think of what their lives must be like without the same stability and love my boys have. I began the process of becoming a foster parent.

Then my brother-in-law moved in with us so he could attend college. The paperwork got put aside. Life got in the way. When I mentioned fostering to my mother on the phone she freaked out and lectured me on the dangers of fostering for thirty minutes. I never turned in that paperwork.

Fast forward to last Sunday. Our Relief Society president announced that DSHS would like a list of any of us who are registered foster families and encouraged those who aren't, who are interested, to become one. I talked it over with my husband and he agreed. We could do it. Our boys are older now and our guest room is empty.

I have contacted the office and filled out my information. The next step is to attend an orientation next month. Have any of you been foster parents? Was it horrible? Rewarding? I want to go into this with my eyes wide open.