FACT

04/25/2026

I have sat in those courtrooms.

Holding my breath.
Trying not to cry.
Walking out like I am fine when I am not.

I have held babies after visits that broke something in them.
Whispering comfort I cannot promise will last.

And somewhere in all of it, there is this unspoken expectation.

Stay quiet.
Stay strong.
Do not make this about you.

Because I chose this, right?
I knew what foster care was.
I am just the in between.

Not the “real” mom.
Not the one the case is about.

So when I say I am hurting
When I say I am overwhelmed
When I cannot even put words to the grief I feel

You can feel the shift.

The looks.
The silence.
The pressure to pull it together and keep going.

But let me say this clearly.

Foster parents are not robots.

We are people.

We love these kids with everything in us, knowing full well it might wreck us.
We hold them when they fall apart.
We carry stories we cannot share.
We build bonds we might be asked to break.

Yes, we are strong.

But strong does not mean numb.
It does not mean unaffected.
It does not mean we do not feel it.

This kind of love costs something.

And pretending it does not only leaves us carrying it alone.

We are not saviors.
We are not here for applause.

We are the safe place.
The steady arms.
The ones showing up in the middle of the night and the middle of the mess.

And when we love them, we love them fully.
Even if it means letting them go.

So if you are a foster parent and you feel unseen in this
If you have been made to feel like your emotions are too much
If you have questioned whether your grief even counts

It does.

Your tears matter.
Your heartbreak matters.

Not because it changes the outcome
but because it changes you

And how you are supported matters for the child you are loving.

Jesus sees it all.

The quiet tears.
The moments no one else notices.
The weight you carry without saying a word.

You are not too emotional.
You are not too much.
You are not alone.

This is holy work.

And your heart was never meant to be silent.

04/22/2026

04/18/2026

More foster homes are needed in the U.S., so we are empowering federal government employees to be part of the solution.

Thanks to the leadership of First Lady Melania Trump, the Trump administration has announced new actions to expand workplace flexibilities and support for foster and adoptive families across the federal workforce.

Did you know federal workers who choose to foster or adopt a child are eligible for:

• up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave
• leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act
• flexible work schedules

Learn more: https://www.opm.gov/news/news-releases/opm-partners-with-first-lady-and-hhs/

04/15/2026

Summer Camp Registration Is Open!

Our Father’s Children invites children ages 6–11who are currently in foster care or kinship care to join us for a week of summer camp.

Camp is filled with:

swimming, games, and outdoor fun
birthday celebrations and traditions
meaningful friendships
2:1 Camper to Counselor Ratio
a safe place to make lasting memories
For many children, camp becomes a week where they can experience joy, belonging, and encouragement in a way that stays with them long after they return home.

We currently have openings in all three camp sessions, but spots are filling quickly:

June 15–19 — departs from North Richland Hills
July 13–17 — departs from North Richland Hills
July 27–31 — departs from Frisco
Register here: https://www.ourfatherschildren.org/programs/
Camp is $25 for the week!

If you have any questions, we would love to help. You can contact us at info@ourfatherschildren.org or call us at 817-788-2360.

Our Father’s Children Programs Click here to learn more Royal Family Kids Camp Royal Family Kids Camp is an international non-profit organization that provides the foundation for creating week-long camps for campers age 6-11. We currently have three sessions of RFKC. Click here to learn more Onwar...

04/15/2026

“When people dismiss positive adoption experiences and insist trauma must be present, they silence a large number of adoptees whose stories don’t fit that narrative. Not every adoption story is one of harm. And it shouldn’t be controversial to say so.” - Jessica; an adoptee from Texas

04/09/2026

Greetings!
My name is Jordan Shelton, and I am a student in the Doctor of Clinical Psychology (PsyD) program at Regent University. I am conducting a research study for my dissertation that explores the impact of parental stress and openness on the attachment relationship between foster parents and children.

I am seeking participants who are current foster parents of a foster child between the ages 1-12. Participation is voluntary and involves completing a 15-20 minute online survey, and an optional 20-30 minutes interview. Your responses will be kept confidential, and no identifying information will be included in the final dissertation or any publications that may result from this research.

If you are interested in participating or have any questions, please reply to this email or follow this link to begin: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JSDissertation.

cid:f_mns23nto0

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04/04/2026

There is a kind of foster parent no one really talks about.

Not the ones everyone praises.
Not the ones people share and celebrate.

The ones in the middle.

The ones who do not feel like they fit anywhere.

They are not the picture perfect homes people like to post.
Not the ones with endless patience and perfectly regulated days.

They are the ones who are tired.
The ones still healing from their own stuff.
The ones who sometimes feel like they are barely holding it together.

And still…

they said yes.

We hear about the “amazing” foster parents all the time.
The ones who never seem to struggle.
The ones who always know what to do, what to say, how to handle every situation.

And listen, those parents are incredible.

But there is another side of this life that no one claps for.

The foster parent sitting on the kitchen floor after a hard moment wondering if they just messed everything up.

The one whose house is not spotless.
Whose patience runs out sometimes.
Who has cried more times than they can count.

The one who does not always get it right.

But still shows up the next day.

That parent matters too.

Actually… that parent is most of us.

Because this life will stretch you.
It will expose every weak spot.
It will bring you face to face with your own limits.

There are days you feel like you are failing.
Days you question if you are the right person for this.
Days you wonder if someone else could do it better.

And the shame creeps in.

You should be more patient.
More organized.
More equipped.

But here is the truth no one says out loud.

These kids do not need perfect.

They need present.

They need someone who stays.
Someone who does not walk away when it gets hard.
Someone who keeps choosing them, even after the hard moments.

They need real.

The parent who apologizes when they mess up.
The parent who keeps learning.
The parent who keeps trying, even when they feel like they are falling short.

That is the kind of love that changes things.

So if you feel invisible in this space…
if you feel like you do not measure up to what everyone else seems to be…

I need you to hear this.

You are not the problem.

You are the one doing the work.

The quiet, unseen, everyday work that does not get likes or praise.

The staying.
The showing up.
The loving when it is hard.

That is what matters.

You do not have to be perfect.

You just have to keep showing up.

And that kind of love

the messy
imperfect
real kind

it is changing lives, even when you cannot see it.

03/26/2026

🎉 Exciting news! We've teamed up with For Goodness Cakes to bring joy to local foster families! Know a foster parent who'd love a special birthday surprise for their child in care? Email Programs@chosenones.org to learn more! 🎊

03/25/2026