Katie Holstein is a single woman who has fostered 16 children in the last 3 years after deciding that she was fed up waiting for 'Mr. Right' and decided to start a family of her own.
It was in 2017 that Katie applied to become a foster parent and by September of that year, she was approved. On that very same day, she was given two toddlers to care for, a one-year-old and a two-year-old. She said:
"I wanted to be a mom, and I was tired of waiting around for Mr. Right to make it happen. I figured I would foster for several years, help reunite some families, and maybe eventually get to say yes to forever."
While Katie says the initial adoption was 'terrifying', over the next few years she fostered 16 children in total. But it was when she fostered a teenage girl by the name of Akyra that her perspective on fostering changed. She said:
"I got the call on March 9, 2019, from my favourite social worker. She said, 'I know you don't do teens, but I have this girl. She's great, and her current foster family just need a break. What about just for the weekend?"
Katie was apprehensive as she had never been put in charge of a teenager before, but immediately she and Akyra sparked up a great bond. After a year, Katie made the decision to ask if she could foster Akyra permanently, who was 16 at the time. She said:
"The plan became for her to stay with me until she graduated in about a year and then go into independent living, which is an amazing program our state runs. It allows teens who are going to age out to choose to recommit themselves to the cabinet until they're 22. They get set up with housing, a stipend, mentors, help with jobs, school, etc. Basically, it allows them to have a slow, guided transition into adulthood instead of being expected to fend for themselves at 18."
Katie decided that fostering was not enough, and it was time to adopt both Akyra and a younger boy, Thomas, who she was also fostering. A process that was made legal just recently. Katie says:
"If I had waited for the 'right time,' I would have missed my kiddos. I promise you, there are children in your community right now who need a safe place to land, and they're not going to care you're on a budget, have a small house, aren't married, or are still trying to figure this whole parenting thing out. They need willing families, not perfect ones."
[Based on reporting by: Positive Outlooks]
COMMENTS