Hi, I’m Emma. I run an Instagram account called Always Enough Love with my friend Talia-Rae. Our page is for siblings of foster kids people like us who have grown up with foster brothers and sisters. Talia-Rae and I both have personal experience with this, and we wanted to create a space where others could share their stories, feel understood, and know they aren’t alone. We hope that our story inspire other.
My family officially started fostering when I was sixteen, but even before that, our home was always a safe place for kids in need. At first, we did respite fostering, which is basically short-term care to give families a little break.
Even in that short time, I met some incredible kids and got really attached. After about a year, we started long-term fostering, mostly babies. I loved helping care for them babies were kind of my thing. Fostering has become such a big part of my life that I can’t imagine not being involved in it. Fun fact: I’ll be the third generation in my family to foster, which feels really special to me. And its traditional deeply cherish.
Hi, I’m Talia-Rae. I’m the oldest of seven kids four permanent siblings and two foster siblings. My family has been fostering since I was six, so I’ve basically never known life without it. Even before we officially became a foster family, kids would stay with us as a safe place. For years, we mostly fostered young children, usually under five. Its taught me empathy and patience early.
But after we adopted two of my siblings, our family opened up to kids of all ages. In the last couple of years, we’ve also fostered teenagers. Teens are always in need of foster homes, and having them around has been both challenging and incredibly rewarding. They regular taught me.
One of the hardest moments for me was when I was fourteen. A little boy we called Little Man had been part of our family since he was six weeks old. By the time he was five, he had to return to his biological family. Saying goodbye was heartbreaking. He clung to my dad, crying, and I remember feeling completely helpless. It show me that love is not permanent.
At that age, I didn’t really have friends who could understand what it felt like to love someone so much and then have them leave. It was lonely and painful, but it also showed me just how special fostering can be.
Emma and I know that being a foster sibling comes with a lot of emotions that aren’t always easy to talk about. Sometimes you can’t share your struggles with your parents because you don’t want them to feel guilty. So we turn to each other instead.
Sometimes your friends just don’t get it. That’s part of why we started Always Enough Love. We met on Instagram, realized our experiences were so similar, and quickly became friends. It’s been incredible to have someone who truly understands what it’s like the excitement of a new sibling, the grief when one leaves, and all the messy stuff in between.
Fostering isn’t always easy. Kids leave. New kids arrive unexpectedly. There’s laughter, tears, frustration, and joy all at once. But it’s also the most rewarding thing we’ve ever done. I’ve met kids I might never have known otherwise, learned to be more compassionate, and grown so much as a person.
Through our account, we hope to show other siblings that it’s okay to feel all these emotions and that having foster siblings can really change your life for the better.
We also want families thinking about fostering to see that it doesn’t harm their biological kids. In fact, it can teach empathy, patience, and love in ways nothing else can. The community we’ve built on Instagram has been amazing. Meeting other foster siblings, sharing our stories, and supporting each other has been a gift. It’s a space to talk about struggles, celebrate wins, and feel truly understood.
Fostering has shaped our lives in ways we could never have imagined. Through Always Enough Love, we want to help other siblings find understanding, friendship, and support. It’s a unique life, full of ups and downs, but having someone who gets it makes all the difference.
