When I first felt called to be a foster parent, I was sure God had made a mistake. Me? A single mom? No way. I had watched many strong women do it, and I didn’t think I had that kind of strength. I didn’t feel qualified at all.
Courtesy of Amy Pollard
I’ve come to realize that saying ‘no’ to God rarely leads anywhere good. Despite my fear and uncertainty, I agreed anyway.
Before I was even licensed to foster, I had spent years visiting a local orphanage every month. I cared deeply about foster care and adoption — I just always assumed it would happen later, maybe after I got married.
Courtesy of Amy Pollard
One cold January day, I met a little 8-year-old boy during one of my usual visits. He stood out right away — you could see the pain and trauma in his behavior. I couldn’t stop thinking about him. Over the next several months, I saw him more during my visits. Whenever I got up to leave, he’d grab me desperately, asking to go home with me. But I couldn’t — not yet.
Courtesy of Amy Pollard
I would cry and pray for someone to adopt him. It turns out, I was praying for myself — I just didn’t know it.
Around the same time, my home church started a program called Rescue 100. It helped speed up the foster parent licensing process. I joined the first training weekend and started the process. After the paperwork and home visits, I was finally licensed.
Courtesy of Amy Pollard
I told my caseworker about the boy at the orphanage and said I’d take him in. But when I went to see him again — he was gone. I was heartbroken. I found out he had been moved three hours away. I tried everything — phone calls, emails, you name it — but nothing worked.
Courtesy of Amber Kait Photography
So I prayed for a miracle and stopped trying to force it. Months later, out of nowhere, I got the call I’d been waiting for. “Are you still interested in Jeremy?” the social worker asked. I was in tears. I said yes without hesitation.
Courtesy of Amber Kait Photography
After one visit to his new orphanage, Jeremy came home with me.
It wasn’t easy. His trauma was deep. He had been neglected and abused. I didn’t have all the answers, but I gave him love, stability, and time. No matter how tough the day was, I still came.
Courtesy of Amber Kait Photography
Six months later, we visited his siblings. That day, his brother Kendrick asked, “Will you be my mom too?” I couldn’t promise anything at first — I wasn’t planning to take two more kids. But God had other plans.
Courtesy of Amber Kait Photography
Courtesy of Amber Kait Photography
Within a week, Kendrick and his younger brother, Jayonne, moved in too. Life got even more chaotic, but also more full. The boys carried deep wounds, but over time, they began to trust, to feel safe, and to heal.
Courtesy of Amber Kait Photography
And on April 1, 2019, I officially adopted all three. My boys had waited three years for a forever home. That day, we sealed it. If you’re scared to take that next step, just know — there’s beauty on the other side of fear
