An Honest Conversation with a Single Foster Dad
Micah, a single foster dad with Anna’s House, first heard of our agency through his home church. As a result of having an estranged relationship with his own father, he decided to pursue foster care. As an organization we have made an intentional goal to keep siblings together. A secondary goal has been to meet the needs of children over the age of 12. It always warms our hearts when families step into the underserved population of teens. We are so excited for Micah and blessed to support him on his foster journey! Read our interview with Micah below:
Why did you decide / what prompted you to become a foster dad? “I had such a rough relationship growing up with my dad. Even growing up in a “stable” home, I lived in a constant state of fear and felt worthless. It took so much investment from a host of people in my life to propel me into the success that I experience now. I realized that many of the teenage boys in the foster system will never have access to that kind of support and investment, and I wanted to be a small part of helping them experience greater success and better outcomes”.
Why did you pick Anna’s House as your agency? “I picked Anna’s House because of its Christian affiliation and support from Life.Church, my home church”.
How has Anna’s House supported you on your foster care journey? “The certification and training process went so smoothly. I felt supported and cared for as I was learning about fostering. Since becoming a foster parent, Anna’s House has provided amazing support through Christmas gifts, resources, parent support group, and my amazing care specialist”.
What has been the biggest joy of fostering? “I won’t sugar coat this. It has been the hardest thing I’ve taken in in my life, and I’m not even 7 weeks in. I look to the finish line, when my kiddo makes it to 18 and can enter the world ready to pursue success, whatever that means to him. I can only hope he likes me at the end of it so our relationship doesn’t end there”.
What has been the biggest challenge of fostering? How have you gotten through this challenge? “The greatest challenge has been dealing with his disinterest in school. Unfortunately, we aren’t through it. We are still processing through that. I’m grateful to rely on my care specialist, other parents, and now the school’s principal who are all supporting me and him”.
What would you tell someone who is considering fostering? “This is not for the faint of heart; it is hard. I’ve heard so many stories have how rewarding this is, and I’m clinging to that hope like a life raft. I’m trusting that God has called me to this, and I’m actively working to grow into the parent that he needs. If you feel called, remember that God doesn’t call the equipped; He equips the called. Trust in Him to guide you in this process”.
How can our donors, volunteers, and AHF supporters be praying for you? “Being a single parent, I don’t have the luxury of a person at home to temper me nor to comfort me. Pray for renewal of mind and spirit; pray that I will lead with love and patience; pray that I will find comfort in the Lord and not in the things of this world”.
Micah, you are doing amazing things through fostering teens and we are here to support you every step of the way!