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I got a call about a potential placement last night; I need to decide by this afternoon. There are two siblings - one a young teen and the other an infant . I have a five year old. I've decided that I definitely can't take the teen, as we really don't have the space, nor am I equipped to manage his behaviors. However, they are willing to place them separately, and I'm considering taking the baby. I will be off for the summer in about a week, so that makes it much more feasible. However, this is a baby that is almost certain to go home, and I'm not sure if I can open us up to that kind of heartache. Timeline right now looks to be around 3-6 months, and while something could change, it sounds pretty unlikely. There is still a part of me that really wants to say yes; I love babies, my child loves babies, and right now we really do have the capacity to be a great resource. I don't want to hurt my own child, though. Any thoughts from anyone? Anyone else been in this situation?
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"We really do have the capacity to be a great resource." - In my opinion, that is your answer. A baby needs a loving home and you're capable of providing a loving home. Your five-year-old is old enough to understand that the baby might just be visiting for a while. It will be heart-breaking to say good-bye, but you will have made a difference for that tiny little human being.
From an article I read recently:
"When my partner and I began our adoption journey two years ago, we were terrified of fostering. We were scared of getting too attached and of having to give a child back. They're valid fears, especially if you've struggled to start your own family or don't yet have kids. However, 18 months later, we not only have a daughter who is ours and fully adopted, we've fostered four babies. You might be surprised to learn that fostering was just as big a blessing to our family as adoption. There are things no one tells you about being a foster parent, but I'm more than happy to.
When we took on our first foster baby (with our own infant daughter in the house), my biggest fear was falling in love with her and having to hand her back. That's exactly what happened, in the end, but I wouldn't change a minute of it. She needed our love for the time she was in our home, and we still feel proud of how we did our job as her foster parents; loving her as hard as we could for as long as she was with us. It taught an invaluable lesson about our capacity to love selflessly and without expecting any reward in return." (https://www.romper.com/p/11-things-no-one-tells-you-about-being-a-foster-parent-but-i-will-30613)