Tran Family

There is nothing more beautiful than showing love to a foster child's biological family during their time of crisis. The most rewarding part of fostering for us is to see children successfully reunite with their families.

I (Olivia) was raised in a family that participated in foster care when I was a young child and I had three different siblings through the Williamsburg foster care system. That experience shaped my heart and character. As parents, we wanted our biological kids - two young children and another on the way - to have the same experience of opening their home to others who need a family. Fostering has changed our lives by making us more flexible and prepared. You never know when you will get a call that will completely change your family's life for the next few weeks, months, or even years!

Our friends, family, and church community provide tremendous wrap-around care, without which, fostering would not be possible for us. While fostering is hard, it will be rewarding if you take advantage of all the opportunities to advocate for the children in your care. We also intentionally cultivate a positive relationship with a child's biological family. I can't imagine anything scarier than having my children put in a home where I don't know a thing about the people taking care of them. So, as foster parents, our greatest successes come when we can show love to the entire family.

With the support of their social workers, we have found that sending photos between children and their families is a great way to keep them connected. You can even print out a photo of their family and put it by their bed, which children often appreciate. Another way to foster a child's connection to their family is by sending their artwork from school to visitations, so that they can give them to their parents. Children love doing that.

Once a child has been reunited with their biological family, we have visited them and maintained contact, which is not only impactful to us and our biological children, but also meaningful to the child we fostered. We also love to stay connected by sending pictures back and forth with their family and sending them birthday gifts each year.

It's important to remember that, of course, it can be difficult being part of a team of people and professionals that support a child. We all want the best for the child and to help, and it can be a hard journey at times. Miscommunications happen in the world of foster care, as in all other areas of life. So be humble, passionate, and always ask for clarification when you are unclear about the plan or a certain issue. Foster parents are valuable and important members of the team and, outside of his or her own family, they know the child the best. I encourage foster parents to speak up, because they can provide insights to the team that no one else can.

We believe that the heart of foster care is reunification, either with the parents or another family member. When you can recognize how powerful it is for biological families to successfully reconcile and raise their children, you can begin to see that truly loving a child sometimes means letting the child leave your home and return to their biological family. If you share this same heart - to see children successfully reconciled with their family through community support - then fostering is for you!

- Joshua and Olivia Tran

Learn about becoming a foster parent

Speak to a foster care specialist at 1-888-2Foster