Beginning of the Journey
When asked why Julie and her wife began fostering, Julie stated, “My wife and I both have a biological daughter but always wanted more children. Since we were not able to biologically give birth to more children, we decided to try foster to adopt”. Julie and her wife’s story begins with a three-year effort to become licensed foster parents. After becoming licensed, Julie and her wife were placed with their first child, a little boy, in 2016.
Six months later, Julie and her wife were placed with his older brother. After two years of fostering their boys, Julie and her wife welcomed them into their forever family officially in 2018. Later that year, they were placed with a third child who they are currently looking after.
Reflecting on her feelings at the beginning of her fostering journey, Julie expresses, “When our son first arrived, I was scared to death, and so was he. However, within a few weeks, I was completely in love and could not imagine my life without him. He has taught me what unconditional love can do. Having a home full of kids may seem hectic, but it actually brings me peace. We currently have five children living under our roof, and I wouldn’t have it any other way”.
Sage Words of Advice
For ones considering becoming foster parents, Julie advises, “Be prepared for the emotional roller coaster you will go through. You will experience absolute sorrow and absolute joy, and, you will never regret it. Take care of yourself and have lots of support. Also, know that even if you only have the children for a short time, you will make a tremendous impact on their lives forever! Also, be prepared to be the children’s advocate; you may be the only one they have”.
Thank you, Julie, for sharing your story with us. If you are in the process of fostering to adopt, we’d like to help you photograph your adoption day. Check out our Framing Forever program for more information. https://www.togetherwerise.org/framing-forever/
