How It All Started
In 2020 the James family* became licensed through Arms of Love Foster Care, a ministry of ABCS, to provide kinship care for their two teenage nieces. Kinship foster care is when children are placed in the home of a family member or someone who has a close relationship with the kids. The family has two teenage boys of their own. So, they had a full house when their nieces came to stay. When the girls reunified with their father the James family felt called to continue their foster care journey.
Before the James family began to care for another child, they worked with their licensing specialist to talk through the details of the age range, behavioral and medical needs they felt comfortable with at this time. The family didn’t feel ready to take on a child who was medically fragile. Their first placement was a little boy. Shortly after they also began caring for a little girl. The little boy ended up getting adopted by the same family that adopted his sister. The little girl is still with them and is doing well.
The Prayers That Changed Everything
During a regular check-in with their ABCS licensing specialist, the family mentioned they had been praying about taking in another child. Lilly*, a baby who was currently on the waitlist to be placed with a foster family, came to their licensing specialist’s mind as the James family shared their heart to open their home again. But there was one detail that caused their licensing specialist to pause. Lilly needed special medical care because she required a tube to eat.
The James family’s licensing specialist shared with the rest of her team that they were open to taking on another placement. Another member of the team thought of Lilly too. The team decided not to assume it would be a “no” from the James family, but to simply ask.
The Miracle Moment
The James family’s licensing specialist reached out to them to share about Lilly and her situation. They had multiple conversations about Lilly and what it would look like if they decided to care for her. Their specialist assured the family that the hospital would train them before discharging the baby. After talking it through, they said if Lilly still needed a home they were in!
That same day, their licensing worker reached out to the placement center to let the staff know that there was a family ready to do the medical training to be prepared to foster Lilly. In that conversation, she learned that Lilly no longer needed the tube! Shortly after, the James family picked up Lilly. What started as a simple check-in conversation led to a family being willing to let God stretch them. Because of the James family’s obedience, Lilly is being cared for by a loving family in this season. Please join us in praying for Lilly and the James family! *Names changed