Pageants and Foster Care

"If we are to teach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children." -Ghandi

I couldn't agree more.

Well, it's out there. I put in on Facebook, so why not put it on here? I am a contestant in the Mrs. Utah, United States, Pageant. I'm not just entering some "Beauty Pageant". This pageant gives a voice to those who have a message to share. The current and past title holders have taken their platform and accomplished amazing things around the state and nation. One former Mrs.Utah has taught Lyme Disease education to the Boy Scouts Of America. Her information will go towards educating boy scouts across America about Lyme disease prevention. The current Mrs.Utah has helped many couples understand infertility and with her workshops she has helped provided reduced cost infertility treatments which have been successful in 35 couples.

Now obviously I am still the same old me who wears sweats all day, who rarely showers (such a time waster) and who thinks she’s funny and laughs as I hide my dirty dishes under the sink. But now I have a mission. My mission is Children.

I know I have posted about foster care before (infertility and me, and fostering the truth) but foster care is important to me, so I’m going to do it again. I want people to think about how many children they might come into contact with that have few clothes (or none), no home, no bed, no toys, nothing to call their own, no mom to give them hugs, no dad to protect them. What would you do if you came in contact with a child like that, a child in need?

Here are some facts provided by the Utah Foster Care Foundation:

1. In Utah there are 2800+ children in foster care at any given time.
2. Children in foster care often have special needs due to neglect, abuse or separation.
3. Substance abuse is a contributing factor in over half of foster care cases in Utah.
4. 38% of the children who enter foster care return to live with their birth parents.
5. There are children in foster care between the ages of 0-19.
6. It takes 32 hours of training and the ability to pass a criminal background check to become a foster parent in Utah. Thirty two hours of training, a criminal background check and you’re ready to give a home to a child in need.

Before coming into foster care, our son was living in filth. He slept on the floor and had a horrible diet. His birth parents left him time and time again--he was abandoned. His young, but older sister was raising him and he was developmentally behind from lack of care. I have talked about our son and his kind heart and fun loving personality before so I’ll spare you the gushing, but he has definitely come a long way.

Unfortunately though, too many children know the life my son knew.

Something I believe with every part of me is that Every Child Is A Gift. Every child is beautiful and sent to earth with the potential to be Anything in the world. Sadly, some children come here and are denied the most basic things in life to help them along the way. But That Can Change.

I’m passionate about children and I believe that every good person wants to help children in need, but sometimes we’re too scared. My husband and I did not come into the foster care program just skipping and singing songs of excitement. Actually I was heartbroken at the time we started the processes. Let me explain:

We wanted more kids, but couldn’t have any more. I can’t express enough the sheer sadness I felt. Where I was once capable, I was now left feeling utterly incapable and it left me feeling empty inside. Once I made peace with that part of my life, we pursued adoption. My incredible husband and I journeyed off in search of a private adoption. Three times we meet with an “Adoption Agent” and three times I felt rejected. We had four children and the adoption agent tried as gently as she could to explain that we had little to ZERO chance to be picked by a birth mother. She kept telling us to try foster care, but we were scared. Finally, after three visits, we decided to give it a try. I joke that the only way we could get a child was through the desperate needs of the state, but I felt truth in that at the time and it hurt.

Today I’m here to say that since starting the foster care program we have been pleasantly surprised at how supported and comfortable it has all been. It’s not perfect and it can seem hard at times, but there is a sense of peace that you’re doing the right thing and that peace over rides all the other negative emotions.

Back to my question- What would you do if you came in contact with a child in need? Could you help them? There are so many people who can foster. It doesn’t take a super parent, just a willing parent. In Utah there are 2800+ children in foster care at any given time that need a loving home. It Could Be YOU, You could help a Child in need.