Foster Care Myth Vs. Reality
Foster care can be a great unknown for the church. After all, when was the last time any of us heard a sermon on foster care or adoption? When dealing with the state, there can be a lot of inaccurate assumptions and fears. We are here to help to navigate between myth and reality with foster care!
Myth: "CPS is out to get you."
Reality: Texas is a state that actively recruits foster families from faith-based organizations. There is an office in the capital building in Austin where DFPS exists for that purpose.
Myth: "I can’t explicitly share my faith with foster children."
Reality: Because a state agency oversees the foster system, and because of the separation of church and state, many people wrongly assume that you are not allowed to share your faith and evangelize. However, that is not true. You can share Jesus with foster children just as if they were you’re own. However, you can’t force them to be Christian (but that’s not possible anyway).
Myth: "CPS restricts church involvement."
Reality: Nope. You can take your foster kids to church camps and worship services and do all the normal things God-fearing families do with their kids.
Myth: "Fostering is expensive."
Reality: Not necessarily. The state recognizes that taking in a child is a financial responsibility, and provides a stipend for foster parents, and it covers medical care. However, these funds may not be enough to cover everything the child may need, and some medical procedures aren’t covered by the state at all (like cranial forming helmets). That is why 1HOPE fundraises so consistently. Our donors, especially our recurring monthly donors called Defenders, bridge the gap that state funds can’t reach.
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Myth: "I have to be married to foster."
Reality: We have several single foster moms, and they are some of the strongest and most resilient people we know. Your marital status does not impact your eligibility to foster. The only thing we require is that if you have had a change in marital status (married, divorced, or widowed) you are in that status for a year before moving forward with licensing.
Myth: "I have to stay at home and can’t work to foster."
Reality: While there are benefits and advantages to having a parent in the workforce and another raising children at home, the reality is that it isn’t always possible or likely in today’s culture. Many of our single foster moms work outside the home, as do both partners in some of our married families.
Myth: "I have to own my home to foster."
Reality: As long as you have a permanent residence (including apartments) and can pay rent, you can foster.
We are thankful to live in a state that is cooperative with the church in caring for children in foster care. Are you interested in learning more about the foster system? Start here. Ready to start the process? Fill out our inquiry form here.