What is foster care and what is Bridge Family Ministries Role in it?

Introduction 

When I first started volunteering with foster kiddos, I had a lot of questions. Logistical, practical questions about the system. How it worked, how to foster, for how long, kinship care vs foster care. If you are new to the world of fostering, this is for you! If you have been incorporated into a foster community for some time, you are likely familiar with all this information. However, within the big conversations and important decisions of life, it can be easy to lose track of the simple truths. The purpose of this article is solely to educate, or remind, you of some facts about the foster system, and to invite you into what we are doing at Bridge Family Ministries. 

Based on FosterVa, “national data from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) shows 407,000 children in foster care in 2020 alone”. I can’t imagine that the COVID-19 pandemic did any good for that number. That is nearly half a million children in our country that have been removed from the place they knew as home and are temporarily living with a distant relative, or a state-licensed adult. Some children get to be reunited with their biological parents quicker than others due to their parents completing a service plan or recovering based on their social workers, or agencies, suggestion and ultimately the courts discretion. Some kids bounce between foster homes for days, to months, to years, trying to find a good placement for their unprecedented time in the system. Other kiddos end up staying with blood relatives such as an aunt, uncle, grandma, grandpa - this is known as kinship care. While other kids get adopted by their foster or kinship family! Every kid that goes through this system will have a unique experience. 

Section 1: Understanding Foster Care 

The barebone definition of a foster child is “a minor placed in state custody”. DCS (Department of Child Services) finds suitable licensed families who have gone through all the prerequisites to host a child and escorts the child over to the foster family's home for an undetermined amount of time. This allows their biological parent(s) to receive the help they need. Reunification is always the goal, but at the end of the day, whatever is best for the child will win. 

The number 1 most important thing for socioemotional, mental, physical, and spiritual development is a loving and present adult. Foster care allows kiddos who are temporarily removed from their biological parents to still receive adequate parental care. 

Before the child is removed, The Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) will attempt various evidence-based strategies in order to keep the child with their parents. When results don’t meet requirements, the child is then removed from their home and brought into the foster care system, awaiting placement. Between federal, state, and local agencies, there is a seamless support system that transitions the kiddos from one unit of care to another.

Where local child placement agencies come in is in the execution process of training parents, maintaining records, home visits, and placing children etc. Highly trained and informative Foster Home Developers will lead you through screening and training courses and conduct a home visit all within a matter of 90 days. 

Later in this article, I will get to the unique niche of support that Bridge Family Ministries brings to families in Middle Tennessee. 

Who Are Foster Youth? 

Foster kiddos range in age. From birth to 24, there are children and young adults who have been and are a part of this system. Foster “children” are children between the ages of 0 to 14, whereas foster “youth” would be considered ages 15 to 24. The needs of a 3 year old will be entirely different than the needs of a 10 year old, which will be different than a 20 year old. It is important to be aware of the needs of different age foster kids - socioemotional, physical, mental. Whether you are fostering a 2 year old or a 19 year old, the Bridge has resources and connections with trained professionals to give you resources and guidance through different situations. 

The Journey of Becoming a Foster Parent 

How does one become a foster parent? What does it mean to be a foster parent? Different states may have different variables… but some basic requirements you must meet to become a foster parent are being at least 21 years of age, having no criminal record, you are financially meeting your own needs, and in good mental and physical health. Background check and fingerprinting will be done as well. Once you have been cleared, you will have to complete an extensive application providing lifestyle, preferences, why you want to foster, etc. Following application, you will attend training and orientation that will teach you how to prepare your family and home for a foster child, how to care for your child best, and other expectations. Lastly, a home visit will be conducted. Once all prerequisites have been met, and you have given the thumbs up, a sweet kiddo can show up at your door any hour of the day with their social worker or member from their agency. 

While it is intimidating and may stir up some fear, you do not have to enter this process alone. Here at Bridge Family Ministries, we intentionally create communities to surround you through the process. If you feel something inside of you that is itching to know more, or to get involved, our website talks you through every step and a phone call to talk through any fear, question, or detail you are wanting to know. 

Section 4: The Meaning of Fostering 

The word foster means to encourage, to bring up, to promote the development of something. Every person deserves the right to be brought up well, to be equipped and poured into. It is no child's fault that they are walking the terrain they are, but there is responsibility to bring up, to encourage those who can’t themselves.

There are few people that come out of this experience not changed from the inside out. The Lord does not leave your willing, sacrificial hands, time, and heart empty through or after this process. Whether you solely volunteer at parents' night out, provide meals, take in a kiddo for yourself, or remain a volunteer to attend to event needs, your work and your time is unbelievably Christ-like, and you will be marked by it. Each and every child will be marked by you. 

Conclusion 

Now, specifically where Bridge Family Ministries comes in. There are endless resources and agencies that financially or logistically meet families in the placement side of fostering, all in which we are connected to and have conversations with weekly. However, there are not as many organizations that are made solely for the foster parents, and children, to feel surrounded and grounded in their community. To make people feel seen, known, and fully supported throughout this process. 

Once the foster kid gets placed, and days go by, and then weeks, it is all too common for the foster parents to start to feel lonely in their situation. Not everyone understands what it feels like to be in such a layered situation. BFM gives foster families helping hands and a heartfelt community to come around them once they have entered the foster community. Our goal is to bridge the gap between the hidden isolation that fostering may bring, and the community that is ready to join them and walk with them. 

Before a kiddo is “a minor placed in state custody”, they are a human with a name, hair color, and a heartbeat. Before a parent ever gives the thumbs up on fostering, they are a human with a name, hair color, and a heartbeat. Our goal is to hold and to support both parents and children earnestly and equip them based on their social and emotional needs. 

If you have questions, concerns, needs, or an itch to get involved in the Kingdom-focused, community-centered work we are doing here at Bridge Family Ministries, we would love to hear from you.