A Christmas Homecoming: And a Foster Mom Who Never Gave Up On Reunification
From Pickens County foster mom: On August 7, 2018 we got “the” call at 2am. It was THE call we had been waiting on because we had room for 2 more kids in our house for an emergency placement. Two children needed a warm bed and a safe place to sleep for a couple days the placement worker said. We said we could keep them for up to a week. Placement didn’t know much except drugs were involved. How hard could a couple days be? That next week we went to court for the probable cause hearing. We saw a mom that looked broken, scared, and worried about her kids but we also saw a woman who didn't know any better, she was a child at heart. After the hearing, we realized this case was going to be a very long case! These two kids may be separated into different foster homes due to the ages, genders, etc. We prayed on Day 5, and the Lord spoke to us.
You have room in your house, in your heart, in your van, at your table, you live for me so teach these kids who their Father in heaven is! I emailed the placement caseworker and told her the kids had a safe place to stay and they could stop searching for a new home. The little girl with blonde hair and blue eyes was 7 years old, and told me, “Thank you for taking us in, so we could be together and safe!” She was a heart-stealer. The red-headed 8 year old boy was so little we thought he was more like 5. We fell in love as these kids played well with our other 6 kids! They even had manners! It was clear that someone had really poured into these kids. Later, we found out that their mom had just hit a downhill battle and found drugs. She didn't have a support system and didn't think anything was wrong with what she was doing.
Fast forward to 15 months in foster care, their Birth Mom hadn’t done one thing on her treatment plan. She was still homeless, using drugs, but she was still coming to visits monthly to see the kids. The kids thought she was a queen anyway. Due to the lengthy time in care, DSS had to file for termination of parental rights. After that hearing, their Mom lost it! She overdosed and almost died in her car from her drug of choice-- Heroin. She spent 5 days in ICU.
When she got out of the hospital, she said God spoke to her and told her to go check herself into a drug rehab home! So she did. She grew closer to God and was maintaining her health drug free, started working on her treatment plan, and got a job! She was still coming to visits for the kids but looked so healthy! I went to drop the kids off at a visit, the caseworker came to my car and said their mom wants to talk to you. I said yes, and the mom looked at me and started crying. She said, “ I have always wanted to walk in Christ the way you do!” I started to sob. I told her even though it has taken you soo long to start the process in your treatment plan, you had to learn to take care of yourself. Now you are drug free, you are leaning on God for answers, you have a job, so what are your plans? She said, “My kids are coming home!” I asked her what I could do to help make that come true? She replied that she just needed someone to talk to. I assured her that I love to talk! Then, COVID 19 hit, court was canceled, plan was still TPR; Mom was scared, no in person visits and she really thought she would lose her kids. I encouraged her to keep working! We began to FaceTime with the kids daily. She moved out of the rehab home and got an apartment in March 2020, then a car in April 2020. I spoke to the adoption worker, caseworker, GAL and said hey this mom deserves a second chance, look how far she has come, even though it has taken her a little longer, what can we do? I started allowing mom to come hang out on the weekends, and even go to Dollywood with us to strengthen her bond with her kids that she hasn't lived with in almost 3 years. It was amazing! She loved her kids so much but guess what she also started to love our kids! My kids started calling her Aunty. So the caseworker started working her magic, and she finally found a person that would listen and be willing to give this mom another chance even though it has taken her 27 months to maintain her independence. November 2020 the plan was changed back to reunification! After almost 3 years of these kids being in foster care, they are home for Christmas! The kids were nervous, of course, but since we made a connection to the birth mom, and she wants to keep us in the picture after the kids go home it was less scary to them! All I can say is God had this worked out in the end!
We have been foster parents for 5 years and this is our first reunification! We have adopted 4 children from DSS and to be able to tell our story and this mom’s story is a blessing!
We all love each other wholeheartedly! And when I say we opened up our family to a person in drug recovery was it scary, weird, uneasy? Absolutely, but it has been so worth it!
