30 years ago – I wrote in my 8th grade yearbook that I wanted to be a loving mother and wife and to be a Family Court lawyer – child advocate. 30 years later I am 2 of the three – though I do feel the work I have done in my professional life over the past 22 years has included being an advocate for children.

When J and I got married – we knew that we wanted 4 children – we had each come to that decision before we met each other.

Our “plan” was to have two children and to adopt two children.

We started going to information sessions about adoption when Bob was a little over a year, while I was pregnant with Belle.

December 2005

At the time our parameters were 1. any child that needed a home and 2. needed to not change the birth order of our children. Even with those parameters, we were told that it would cost $30k for each child – minimum. We thought about what that would mean. We wanted Jewish Day School for our kids, we didn’t want to have 3 biological children and one adopted child. During this time, J’s dad passed away and we didn’t want to wait for “a good thing.”

We said that maybe when our kids were older – maybe teens, we would become foster care parents…come to think of it – I’m not quite sure if I said it and J just agreed – or I just said it! Bean and Puppy followed – completing our family of “planned biological children.”

December 2014

Of course, we added two 4 legged pups as well!

We went to our first foster care meeting in December of 2014, with all 4 children in tow, and learned much – including, then was not the right time.

May 2019

Fast forward 4.5 years later, we have completed our 30-hour training, completed the 60-hours worth of paperwork and we are awaiting our home study to complete our licensing process. J and I are in this together – really all of SCentral is in this together, though I know that I am leading us down this path. It means the world to have all of us together on this adventure.

I have been blessed beyond my comprehension to have the life I share with J and our children. We hope to be able to give some love, hope, and strength to at least one child while their biological parents get the tools they need to be the parent the child deserves.

Care to join us on our journey? May is National Foster Care Month do some research!