Papers on papers, on copies, on appointments, on forms on papers, on notary signatures, on tests and appointments and classes and books and instructional DVDs and more forms and more appointments and inspections and home studies and more paper on paper on paper on paper. Seriously. That was the application process of becoming a foster family. I called it my paper pregnancy. It lasted almost as long, but I was able to have my wine along the way... otherwise I would have never made it through that pregnancy (the paper one!). I thought as soon as I am done with this mound of paperwork it will all be over, and I can get to the other stuff, the baby stuff, the easier stuff. BAHAHAHAHA! Do you ever look back at a time of thinking and you can almost picture the Trinity in heaven listening to me and covering their mouth while snickering? I picture the triune God having a good laugh over my naivety, then patting my head and whispering back to me, "If only you could see what's right around the corner! You enjoy that paper work sweet child. This. Is the easy part."
On November 25th we finally got the call saying we were in the system and we can start expecting calls. I asked the lady on the other end how long she thought it would be before I got a call about a child. She said, "There's a really high demand for homes for babies in your county. Technically, your information won't register in the system for another 2-3 days, but if there's an emergency placement tonight then you'll get a call tonight. It's time to stop screening your calls. Any call could be about a kid." Enter panic mode. This was happening. I texted everyone saying it was time, to start praying for the Lord to put the right kid in our home, and for his/her protection until he (or she) gets here.
I got a call that night in the middle of women's bible study with some friends, and ran out of the room. Everyone held their breath and started praying. I ran outside, answered, and heard, "I'm looking for Shannon Smith." Knots in stomach. My pulse nearing heart attack danger range. "Yes, this is she." "This is (so and so) with that business school you went to... (no idea what words came next)." Nope. Unless my old business school got in the business of putting kids in safer homes, this wasn't THE call.
Friday... 2-3 days after the original call saying we were in the system, we got a call about a little girl who was just born and I would need to pick up from the hospital on Monday. Tears of joy this time. I started researching all of the things I would need to know: how to take care of African American hair, ways of calming babies exposed to drugs before birth, what side effects to look for and questions to ask when the caller called back. I had texted everyone I texted the first time around. 5 hours later I got a call saying, "Sorry we forgot to call you but that baby was placed and here's another one that just came across... interested?" Wait. What? Uh, yea, sure we're interested. New research: Kids from domestic violence homes, things to look for and ask about. 2 hours later, "That little man was placed somewhere else too. Here's a 3rd baby that falls in your age range, but you'll have to come up and stay at the hospital overnight. He's 6 weeks old and has intense medical care the doctor wants to show you before you take him home." This one I had to say no to. We weren't ready to take on kids that required extra medical care, because I have 2 other kids under 4 at the house and it just wasn't in my bandwidth. {Enter the Trinity's snickering.} Plus, Marshall was traveling so I couldn't stay overnight at the hospital.
Within two weeks of being officially certified we received 12 calls about kids in our area needing homes: kids from domestic violence homes, kids who had been beaten up by family, kids with heart conditions that no one could take care of, kids with siblings who were all being sent to different homes, kids born to moms who were on drugs in the delivery room, kids born to moms who violated probation and were leaving the hospital to go to jail. 12 calls. In 14 days. For kids 0-18 months. In my county. And, these were the easiest cases--we had already said we couldn't take care of kids that required intensive medical care or supervision.
A couple of kids we said no to for medical care, the rest we said yes. After that crazy first day of calls, I'd text my people and give a brief story. We'd all pray. We prayed for homes to be safe, and CPS found a safe family member before the kids ever entered foster care. We prayed for siblings to be placed near each other, and they were. We prayed for siblings to be together in the same home, and a kid that was literally in the car on the way to my house at 1 am and was dropped off at the wrong house--with another sibling. After two weeks of these calls, my heart was so heavy but maybe the ministry the Lord was calling us to by preparing us for foster care was just to pray over these kids. The Lord was so sweet to give me a small glimpse into little ways he's redeeming things that people have tried to destroy. I was so beat up over these calls, but hopeful that the Lord was watching over them and taking them somewhere safer.
At 12:30 am on December 8th we got a call for a little boy who had been abandoned 3 times, and eventually dropped off at CPS. They didn't know his name or his age or who his mom was, so they are taking him to the hospital to be examined first. They think he "might have eczema" so he "may come with a cream". Are we interested? YES! Absolutely, yes.
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