Do you remember how long summer used to feel when you were a kid?
Three months of time stretching out before you . . . It was an eternity. Time passes so slowly when you are a kid. I recently read that foster children in our state spend an average of 19.7 months in the foster care system. I can’t imagine how long 19.7 months must feel like to an uprooted child.
When you hear about the number of children in the foster care system in Indiana, it can seem like a distant statistic. In 2019 there were 16,307 kids in Indiana foster care, and that same year there were just 6,201 registered foster parents available to take those placements. Sometimes statistics grab us and draw us into a story or problem, and sometimes they make us shut down. The numbers are too big, the issues too complex, and we feel unable to make a dent.
In my own life, these statistics have come to life in recent years as friends and family members have joined the ranks of foster families in Indiana. Everyone who becomes a foster parent has their own story.
My family members who signed up were unable to have their own children and were eager to open their home to children who might be available for adoption at some point. They knew there were risks. Adoption might not happen. The children most likely would have a history of trauma. They had never parented before and they were worried they wouldn’t be able to handle it.
But 20 adventurous, sometimes difficult months later, they are just weeks away from adopting two precious boys who have found stability and love in their home. It was emotional and challenging, but for them it was also a fairytale ending.
Another friend and his wife chose to offer foster care for newborns and babies. In this case, they did not want to adopt, but rather wanted to give back. They wanted to make sure babies who are in transitional custody would have a warm, loving home during that time.
They give these babies every chance of success and their goal is a bright-eyed, happy baby ready to settle in with adoptive parents or be awarded back to their healthier birth parents.
People who hear about this story often say, “I could never do that!” But once you meet one of these little, precious lives you know that the love this family gives comes back to them 100-fold. I know they feel fortunate to have met and loved each of these amazing little people.
Part of the foster journey is often court ordered to supervised visitation to keep them connected with their birth families during the process. Here at Greenwood Public Library, we’ve seen our facility become a popular place to hold these visits, where there are toys, books and a friendly environment.
These meetings can last up to four hours, and we’ve noticed a need for a more appropriate space for these families during supervised visits. So, we are creating the GPL Living Room. This flexible space will provide a comfortable, enclosed room for families and their case workers.
Whether you are a current or future foster parent, or if you just want to know more about how you can help, we hope that you will come to our Foster Care Fair from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Aug. 28.
We will be pulling together central Indiana foster care agencies and resources. Meet the organizations you’ll need if you are fostering, find out how to foster, and bring your foster littles for some fun activities and a library card.
Children in foster care will also receive an “I’m A Library Kid” resource bag, which we hope will kick-start their library habit. Come see the future site of the GPL Living Room and visit the studio for a special craft. Time may pass slowly when you’re a kid, but it’s always better when you’re having fun at the library.
We so appreciate our sponsors, Greenwood Rotary and Modern Woodmen, who share our passion for children in foster care and have helped to make this possible.
