Foster care broke us in the best kind of way

My family and I have been fostering for seven years. We have seen kiddos come and go, and some stay forever. Foster care has changed us in ways we imagined it would and in ways we never thought it could. We often say that foster care broke us in the best kind of way.

When we began fostering we saw some of the hurt in this world. We saw kids that needed a safe place for a little while until families could be put back together, and we saw some kids who needed that safe place to also be their forever place.

What we failed to see in the beginning was all the other people connected to this child who were also hurting. What we failed to see was an entire city around us full of hurting people. Foster care didn’t just open our eyes to a little bit of hurt around us — it opened our eyes to ALL of it!

Our eyes have been opened

I am a better person, because of foster care, my husband is a better person and my kids are better people. Our eyes have been opened, and we can no longer live in ignorance of people who are different from us, or who hurt differently than we do.

This newfound sight of the hurt around us has also opened our eyes to the great beauty around us. It is sometimes in the toughest of circumstances and situations that light and beauty shine the brightest. My family and I count it a privilege to SEE and to share with our sphere of influence not only the hurt around us and what we can do to make an impact, but also the great beauty that is there even in the toughest of situations.

Foster care broke us in the best kind of way, we are better for it, and I pray that we are never the same!

Charonne Ganiere Licensed foster parent Children's Wisconsin

Children’s Wisconsin plays a big part in finding foster homes and adoptive families for kids in Wisconsin. At any given time, 7,000 children are in foster care in Wisconsin. We offer a team approach, working together to support the best interest of children and their families.