Four Tips for Helping Foster Parents

George Paul and Tiffany Wood, Springfield, Missouri, started on a foster parenting journey in 2010 that led to adopting two preschool-age girls in December 2016. From that perspective, Tiffany shares with others what was most encouraging to her as a foster parent.

Tiffany says, “The real need in our country is to love children, take care of them, love the biological family, and then give the children back whenever possible.”

 Here’s how you can help a foster care family.

1. Recognize that they feel alone. Even though other parents are fostering also, because of the struggles, it’s hard to find time to share with each other.
   
   
2. Even the small things are a big help to foster parents. Tiffany said, “When someone would text me and say, ‘Are you doing OK today?,’ it was a huge help, because I knew that person recognized my struggle. They ‘saw’ me! I didn’t need an extravagant meal brought in, or huge donations of stuff. I just needed to know that someone saw me.” An invitation to dinner is a blessing as well.
   
   
3. Walk alongside foster care families as a church. Provide a family night out, or host a Christmas party for foster care families. Provide respite care. Become a meeting place for foster families and biological families to gather. Call your local county and see what they need your church to do. Help make people aware of the need. Show the community that the church cares about these children.
   
   
4. Don’t call the foster care family “heroes,” because they need room to fail. It’s extremely difficult to be a foster parent. Give them all the encouragement you can!