When Ava and her husband signed up to foster the day before their wedding, they knew it would shape their future. From an unexpected long-term placement to the daily joys and challenges of becoming a family of four, Ava reflects on faith, resilience and the importance of community.
Before you started your fostering journey, what were your views on fostering?
We were always really keen on fostering. My husband was in foster care for most of his teenage years, so we knew it would be a big part of our married life.
Describe how your fostering journey started.
We actually registered to foster the day before our wedding! We knew it would take a while to get through the fostering process, so we wanted to start early. About a year later we were approved as foster carers, and that afternoon two girls arrived on our doorstep!
"About a year later we were approved as foster carers, and that afternoon two girls arrived on our doorstep!"
What has been the biggest blessing/challenge?
We had originally signed up to be respite foster carers, and had agreed to take two little girls for two weeks. However, due to a few complications with their original foster family, we ended up taking the girls for a lot longer (actually, seven months later, they’re still with us). This has probably been the biggest challenge for us, because although the girls are delightful and we love having them as part of our family, we probably weren’t fully prepared to become a family of four quite so quickly! But, our church has been very supportive, and we’re blessed with friends and family who have helped us and championed us on.
How would you describe the relationship between being pro-both and fostering?
There are literally hundreds of children who desperately want and need a safe place to call home. I think that all Christians should see this as a call to action; God’s heart is for children. It would be so hypocritical to say that children have value whilst they are in the womb, but then to let them become unwanted, unloved, and unprotected once they are born. If we truly believe that every life is precious, this should be reflected in the way that we treat the most vulnerable members of our society: children.
What advice would you give to anyone considering becoming a foster parent?
Being a foster parent is tough. There will be easier days and more challenging days, so you need to make sure you have a couple of really good people around you. Never forget that every time you clean a runny nose, have a sleepless night, or engage in a heated discussion, you’re helping to build the Kingdom!
*Ava’s name has been changed
