Kicking off foster care month with my reasons I became a foster mama.

May is national foster care month. A month set aside to speak up & advocate & educate & listen. Such an important month.

Jamie Finn, Foster the Family Blog, suggested that we use this month to write about our experiences and stories of foster care. Here's the writing prompts for each day.

My Why.

Why do I foster? Why was I so passionate about adoption first?

I went to college for counselling. While in school I got a job working for a foster care agency. I did one on one work with some kids in care. I connected with the kids and really enjoyed the work.

When I graduated school I got hired as a child and youth worker full time at a foster care closer to home. I jumped right in and fell in love with the work. I loved that I was helping foster parents do the hard work by supporting their placements.

While in school, I also met my husband. When I heard his story and how a church family had come alongside him and helped fill in the gaps from his own biological mother, we both knew we wanted to foster and adopt.

We were licensed by a private, therapeutic foster care agency when I was twenty-five and Joel was twenty-six.

We've always wanted a large family and we love the work that we get to do. The opportunity to love on kids, welcome them into our crazy family and show them how amazing a family can be. We started because we wanted to make a difference in kid's lives.

But they have changed us. They have shown us what family is all about. They have taught us to love deeper, hold onto one another a little harder and what strong really looks like.

We're so grateful for the opportunity to foster and to love on the kids we receive.