Photo of the Week - May 29
Our photo of the week is actually one that brought tears to our eyes. Our foster care manager took this picture when he visited one of our programs in Anhui last weekend. One of our wonderful foster moms had cared for two little girls in her home since they were just tiny babies. One of the girls had just been adopted overseas, and her foster sister kept asking the mom to please go and get her sister back so they could play together again. Every time the mom started to talk about the child who had been adopted, she would break down and cry.
What an incredible gift good foster parents give to the children in their care. They love and encourage these children, include them in their families in every way, and then make the painful sacrifice to say goodbye when it is time for adoption. We love foster care SO much for any child who is orphaned, but this photo was a reminder yet again of the very real emotions and bonds that are forged between parent and child in a home setting. We realize that many of these families lose a piece of their heart when the child they have raised finds a permanent family through adoption. What a gift they have given to a child, allowing them to know love and protection and belonging. It is in seeing photos like this one that we realize the enormity of what we are really asking our foster parents to do.....to love a child completely as their own, but then somehow find the strength to let them go. All across China there are quiet unsung heroes like this mom who are making lifelong differences in the lives of orphaned children. They have our complete gratitude.
This is nothing new to me. I have been in touch with my one daughter's foster family and my other daughter's orphanage family since their adoptions 6 and 9 years ago, respectively. There is no doubt that the people who cared for my children prior to my arrival truly loved them. I so wish that the CCAA would encourage communication between the adoptive families and the foster families after a child's adoption, making it easy for families to keep in contact. By providing contact information at the adoption point, the CCAA would be doing a service to all involved.
ReplyDeleteOh, the love shown by these foster parents! It is so selfless and precious. How can we thank them? What a wonderful gift they give the child in their care.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this. I regularly thank the Lord for the love and nurture and security that the foster parents provided for my Li'l Empress. Her transition to our home and our family was almost seamless and I owe them so much. It's obvious to me, from the short videos and many pics that China Care sent us upon our return home, that she was well-loved and well-cared for. Doted upon even. It kills me to know that they loved her enough to petition to adopt her (which we also found out upon our return home) but were turned down. She was already marked for the Int'l program. We are so, so thankful for their selfless love and the gift they gave us in preparing her for her new family. I agree with the first commenter, Teresa, that the CCAA should re-consider facilitating some kind of contact. We're only allowed to do so if we pay a group like LadyBugs N' Love, etc. and that gets pricey for our family's budget.
ReplyDeleteThank you for today's pic - and for the attention that you bring to all sides of the international adoption community!