Standing in the Gap: Our Foster Care Story

My husband and I went through PATH (Parents as Tender Healers) classes over a year ago, which is Tennessee’s foster parent training program. It is a pretty tedious process and we remember feeling anxious in class, wondering how it would impact our three daughters (ages 13, 11 and 7). We had discussed fostering with them for a long time and they were completely on board, but actually giving up time and attention from parents is a huge sacrifice.

For around ten months, we received phone calls from DCS and felt nervous there might be a child that actually fit our criteria. We weren’t ready. We were open to a single placement, six years and younger because of our current family dynamic.

Then… on a Friday afternoon in February, when we had just finished registering for our foster care education through the state… we received “the call.” For the first time in months I felt positive answering the phone. I wasn’t tired, we didn’t have sports the next morning, you know… all the usual excuses. I was actually excited to hear that DCS had a baby! I told her I needed to speak to my husband and that I would call her back. Five hours later we had a little baby boy in our home.

He’s been with us now for four months. It’s been hard. Really hard at times. Countless hours of sleep have been lost and sacrifices with our other kids are real. Yet… he’s changed so much. He’s healthy and engaging… and getting bigger and stronger every day. He’s become a part of our family… and he’s been such a light in our home. Our girls have been changed forever. We have been changed forever.

We firmly believe that serving is the best way to truly see Jesus. And we’ve been closer to our Lord the last four months more than ever. We’re not sure how all this plays out… and we are constantly in prayer that God will take care of him and give him the best chance possible. It’s such a hard thing to live daily, but we will continue to love him as long as he is with us and are thankful that our hearts have been changed forever.

Kelly Hixson & family

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If you’d like more info on how you can serve foster families and children in our church and
community, read 5 Ways the Church Can Impact Those in Foster Care Right Now!
from the Tennessee Kids Belong campaign and website.