What No One Tells You About Foster Care Training
We were still in the middle of our home study, checking off every safety requirement and filling out endless forms. I’ll share more about that process soon, but today I want to talk about one of the most intense, eye-opening parts of becoming a foster parent: foster care training classes.
I’ve Always Loved School… Until This
Growing up, I loved school. I loved learning, meeting new people, and everything about being in a classroom.
So when we signed up for the required foster care training hours, I thought I’d do just fine.
But hindsight is 20/20.
If I could go back, I’d gently tell myself:
“This isn’t personal. Just focus on the training.”
That may sound cold, but foster care classes are emotionally heavy. If you let every heartbreaking story sink in too deeply, you risk being so overwhelmed that you miss the practical tools you’ll need for the child who may soon walk through your door.
The Stories Stay With You
I cried through many of the sessions. The trauma, the neglect, the abuse – it was more than any child should ever endure.
Some classes included experienced foster parents sharing their own stories. And honestly, some days I wished I hadn’t heard them.
It wasn’t just hard. It was heartbreaking.
But even through the tears, I learned valuable lessons about empathy, safety, and what it means to show up for a child who’s experienced loss.
Would I Do It Again? Absolutely.
Despite the heaviness, I wouldn’t change a thing.
Every foster and adoptive parent I’ve met says the same thing:
“It’s hard. But I’d do it again. These kids are worth it.”
That’s the truth of foster care – it will break your heart wide open and still somehow leave you grateful for the chance to love.
Tears Are Part of the Journey
Even years later, I still get emotional.
Just a few months ago, in a foster parent support group, I found myself crying again during a guest speaker’s story. The ache never completely goes away, but that’s part of the beauty – it means you still care.
When you’re walking through the foster system – or standing beside others who are – your heart is constantly being stretched.
If You’re in Foster Care Training Right Now
Here’s what I wish I had known:
- Don’t be afraid of the tears. But stay grounded enough to absorb what you’re learning.
- Find a therapist early. I wish I had. If cost or availability is an obstacle, look for online support groups or local community programs.
- Seek connection. My foster/adopt support group became my anchor. They get it.
You will need community and care – for yourself as much as for the children you’ll love.
This Road to Motherhood Isn’t Easy
Foster care is emotional, stressful, and deeply unfair at times. There were moments I wanted to quit. But I reminded myself:
“There’s a child out there who needs me to stay in this.”
If you’re walking this road right now, please know you’re not alone. Support exists. Healing is possible. And even through the pain, there is beauty.
If you’ve been through foster care training yourself, I’d love to hear what helped you. Your words might be exactly what another future foster parent needs to hear.
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