One of the hardest jobs a person will ever have is being a parent, but a case can be made that an even harder job is being a foster parent. There is never any way to tell who is going to come along and what they are going to need outside of basic shelter needs. It is hard, it is frustrating, it is overwhelming, and it is, without a doubt, one of the most rewarding things a person could ever do. And while individual needs may vary from child to child, the overall goal of parents and foster parents alike is to the plant seeds within children that will help them grow into healthy adults.
Our residents at the Freewill Baptist Children’s Home often come from chaotic and sometimes traumatic circumstances that have shaped the things they’ve learned about life and living—and, sometimes, they don’t know that any other way exists. The hope for children here at the Children’s Home is that, even though we don’t know how long a child will be here, they can learn that the way things have been is not the way things must always be. We try to encourage growth in physical, emotional, and even spiritual areas of life so that when they become adults they are able to explore those same areas on their own.
We encourage children to try food and activities that they’ve never tried before. We want our children to be able to say that they were able to play soccer or an instrument in band or even that they were given the opportunity to try these things. The unfortunate reality is that not all children will have these opportunities and, if possible, we want to offer it to those that find themselves here. Perhaps someone might find a passion or talent for something that, otherwise, would have remained hidden.
The emotional message we hope to convey to our residents is that it’s okay to not be okay. Kids today live in the world of social media where people put on their best face and pretend that everything is going their way. Unfortunately, children that end up being in an out-of-home placement know that their lives aren’t perfect. They may try to pretend that everything is “okay” which can lead to significant concerns. Children here are encouraged to verbalize their concerns and to discover how best to cope with these concerns. They are not punished for being sad or angry. They are encouraged to be honest with themselves and others in order to find healthy ways of coping with life’s stressors.
It should come as no surprise that children at a Freewill Baptist children’s home are taken to church, which for some is a new experience in and of itself. While we do not “push” children to make spiritual decisions, we do encourage them to explore their own spirituality and the role it plays in their life. We understand that children question their world, their place in that world, and where their life will lead them. It is our goal to provide each and every child with the stepping stones to begin exploring and finding answers to those questions.
We don’t always get to see this happen. We don’t always know what becomes of a child once they leave us. But it is our hope that we have planted the right seeds and in the right manner so that we can continue helping children and families in their time of need.