When I was in high school, my family decided to start fostering children. The process was lengthy and at first, I was against fostering because I knew that if the children were placed somewhere else after being in our home, my family (especially my mom) would be hurt and depressed.
In order to start taking in children, there were endless interviews, house check-ups and a lot of paperwork. Once we finally got our first placement, I ended up being one of the most involved people out of everyone as those kids slowly won me over.
Yes, it was hard when we would first get a kid from whatever situation they had come from, and it was hard when they left, especially if it was to go back to the same situation they had left, but we always knew that at least for the time they had with my family, they were loved and cared for.
There were two instances where we didn't have to give the kids back, and they are now my siblings. Every day we spent fighting for custody was torture because we never knew what was going to happen next. Two of my favorite days of the year are the adoption days of my adopted siblings. They may not be related by blood, but they never feel out of place. It's as if they have always been a part of my life.
Before adopting them, I already had two biological brothers. It is because of foster care that I finally got a sister. She may be 14 years younger than I am, but she is the best. I also gained another little brother, who is 17 years younger than I am, but I can't imagine my life without him. They keep me on my toes and have made me a better person.
Foster care has changed me as a person. It has made me more patient, kind and caring because I realize that every moment is precious and nothing is guaranteed. It has caused many heartaches, but also many days of joy. The rewards outweigh the risk by a million. Foster care gave me a part of my life I didn't know I was missing. I was fine with my life the way it was, but now I can't imagine my life without my siblings. It has changed my life for the better and I wouldn't change it for the world.
