The Day We Almost Became Parents

Before we get into all this, here are a few pics of our mini camping adventure last weekend! 

Well, it happened...we finally got a call. THE call. TWO calls, actually.

On Wednesday afternoon, Bry got a call from someone from our agency asking if we'd be willing to take a 12 year old girl into our home. The guy didn't get the info from our home study that 12 years old was out of our age range. We considered it anyway, but ultimately decided that the bedroom was not designed for a 12 year old and that we'd like to wait for a child closer to our age range (4-9 year olds.)

About an hour later, I received a call from the same agency rep asking if we'd be willing to take a 5 year old girl. Bry and I had agreed that we wouldn't say yes or no without speaking to the other person first, so I quickly got off the phone with the agency and called Bry, who was at a recruitment event in a very noisy restaurant (perfect, right!?!) I called him a few times. Okay, 14 times. Literally. I figured he was bound to either hear or feel the vibrating phone at some point. I called and texted about 5 other people I thought would be with him, but none of them answered. After what felt like forever, he finally called me back! We agreed that this case sounded like a great fit for us, so I called the agency as soon as I could.

It didn't work out. In an effort to clear up any confusion, read on to find out why. Someone asked me yesterday if they "put the kids in a lineup and let you choose one." Ironically, it was the same person who asked me THIS question a few months ago. I can't make this stuff up, people.

When a child is removed from their home and is considered an "emergency placement," it means that there is a scared, shaken child sitting in a CPS office or a cop car and they're trying to figure out where they will be sleeping that night. They probably have a backpack with a few bare essentials (if that) and they're replaying the events that have occurred an hour or two prior to being removed from their home over and over in their mind.

While this is happening, CPS puts out what is called a "broadcast" to all of the foster agencies in the area. The broadcast contains as much information they have about the child and their situation. The agency reps then call licensed foster families to seek out a home for this child. If one family at agency "A" says they will take the child, it isn't guaranteed. Someone at agency "B" might also say yes, while someone at agency "C" says yes as well. The agency reps then call CPS and it takes about an hour to figure out where the child will actually go.

In our case, the child was taken to a home in their county, but distance isn't always the only factor. If there are several families willing to take in the child/ren, CPS has to consider several factors before deciding where to ultimately place the child.

We prayed for both of these girls on Wednesday evening, the families they will now make a home with, and the families that have been torn apart by addiction and illness. Would you pray with us, too?

We know the "right" child will come into our lives in God's time, and who knows...maybe they'll even make us become parents someday!