Reframing Foster Care
“It’s about our desire to see good come out of bad. Our willingness to embrace what is broken and do whatever it takes to bring healing. That’s why we do what we do. It has to be.”
Reframing Foster Care, by Jason Johnson
Reframing Foster Care
by: Jason Johnson
I only wish I had read this book when we began foster care! In my opinion, it should be a required read for all foster parents.
The purpose of this book is not to teach you how to become a foster parent or how to care for children from hard places. Instead, it will change your perspective on foster care and our role in the “system.”
Going into foster care, we usually start out gung-ho. We are going to change the world! We will swoop in and rescue a hurting child. We will be heroes!
That usually changes pretty quickly. Actually, let’s not sugar coat it, immediately, we face our own powerlessness in this world of foster care. Many times, it leads to bitterness, frustration, and defeat. The truth is that many foster parents do not stay in the system longer than a year or even their first placement. And, no wonder! We jump in with the complete wrong mindset!
Reframing Foster Care begins with the “Why” of foster care and why it should matter to us. What is our role as the church in this messed up foster care system? Johnson also encourages us to be faithful and trust that God will also be faithful. When it is hard, and through the goodbyes and injustices we inevitably face.
Case workers, biological families, judges, etc. are just as much a part of our calling as the children are. Foster care is the Gospel. We must view everyone we encounter, even the unpleasant ones, as human beings who need God's love just as we do. This chapter, in particular made an impact on me.
Whether you are a new foster parent, a seasoned foster parent, or someone who is just curious about how you can help support and care for vulnerable children, I highly recommend you start with Reframing Foster Care.
