What is it like to be a foster parent with Refugees Northwest Foster Care? Here’s what some of our foster parents have to say about welcoming refugee and immigrant youth into their lives:

“Surely it sounds like a cliché, but I think we are happier overall. Our home is often full of excitement and laughter and sometimes tears, but usually from laughing too hard. We have two younger girls, 8 and 11 now, and it has definitely impacted them – but we like to think in a good way. Hopefully they have learned the importance of helping a child in need. The importance of putting aside your own worries and considering another child’s worry (no home, no family, no love). For an outsider our family may look odd – different colors, different ages, different clothing – but so what? We are a family because we care about each other – not because we share common genes.”

-Foster father to several refugee youth

 

“For me, this is as much a personal journey as anything else. What does it mean to be kind? What does it mean to help others? What does it mean to be a family? What kind of person am I? What kind of parent am I? Can I find it in my heart to love a child that is not my ‘own’? I think ultimately I was driven by a couple of things: one I kept coming back to is the fact that it could be my children without parents. If it was, would I want someone to care for them and give them a chance?”

-Foster mother to two Ethiopian boys

 

“Creo que cada persona latina/hispana merece la ayuda, la motivación, y el consejo de la comunidad latina. No debemos olvidar que un día vinimos igual que la mayoría de estos jóvenes: sin conocer a nadie, sin hablar el idioma, sin un lugar donde vivir. Si queremos un cambio, si queremos ver un mundo mejor tenemos que inspirar a los jóvenes. Qué mejor manera hay que mostrarles que nos preocupamos por ellos que dejar alguien desconocido vivir con nosotros.”  “I strongly believe that every Latino/Hispanic person deserves help, motivation, and mentoring from the Latino community. We shouldn’t forget that one day we came just like these kids: without knowing anybody, without knowing the language, without a place to stay. If we want to see a better world we need to inspire the younger generation and what better way is there to show them that we care than by letting someone that we don’t know live with us.”

-Foster father to a Central American youth

 

“Para mi fue una buena idea. Lo que yo diría a otros que estan interesados es que si tienes espacio en tu hogar, si tienes amor a otra persona y si tu familia  puede aceptar a un joven seria buena idea para ti.” “For me this was a good idea…. I would say to others that if you have the space in your home, if you have the ability to love another person and if your family will accept the youth then this will be a good idea for you.”

-Foster mother to a Central American boy