Foster Kid.....Adopting Siblings

People see a single mother of 4 and they stare. They judge. They don't ask questions, they don't know me, they just assume.....

I was a foster kid…..I don’t want the cycle to be repeated

I spend the first 10 years of my life moving from foster home to foster home. I was lucky enough to be adopted when I was 10 years old. I’m now 25. Up until a few months ago, I was a single mom of a 5 year old. Now, I’m a single mother of 4 children.

Almost 3 years ago my (biological) sister called me hysterical saying she (and her boyfriend) needs my help with her 3 babies. At the time, the kids were 2 yrs, 1 yr, and  2 months old.  She told me if I didn’t help her, Child Protective Services (CPS) was going to take the kids. So, I drove 3 hours away to pick the kids up. They were in horrible condition; all of them underweight covered in dirt and you can tell there was extreme lack of care for them. I had the kids for two and a half weeks. When I tried to get my sister to get help for her drug addiction, she got mad and threatened to call the police and tell them I kidnapped the kids unless I gave them back to her. So I did.

For the following two + years I tried to find out their location and was unable to. Finally, a few months ago, I received a call from a friend of my sister (that knew me) and discovered the kids had been taken by CPS and were all separated and in foster homes.  MY BIGGEST FEAR HAS COME TRUE! I couldn’t let my nieces and nephew grow up separated and in foster care.  After several phone calls, and jumping through a few hoops, I was able to get all three of my nieces and nephew placed in my care.  I had absolutely nothing for them, but I would make it work. I needed beds, car seats, clothes….SO MUCH!

The kids had been through so much from living in a car, physical & mental abuse, digging through garbages to find food, and wearing the same diaper days in a row. Now they are going to be able to come back to our loving home.

Finally, the kids were brought to my house. After not seeing them for so long!

I am now a single mom of 4 beautiful children, and I wouldn’t change a thing. I did not have the luxury of baby showers, saving for a new baby, or even planning. The money will be used to help me with setting up their new bedrooms (I just had to move to a 3 bedroom house that I’m renting), getting things like baby gates, clothes, help with getting age appropriate educational toys, and getting the kids in therapy. I am able to receive foster care money which has helped with the loss of income due to the 3 added kids in the home. I am a licensed daycare provider and only have room for a small number of kids.

Currently, the birth parents have not tried to reunify with the kids, and I will be trying to adopt them once parental rights are terminated.

Thank you everyone for your prayers and support thus far. And, thank you to those that suggested I set up a GoFundMe, even though I do not like to ask for help. All your thoughts, prayers, financial and emotional support are greatly appreciated.