Guided by Love
From their very first date, Sara and Stuart formed a bond around the idea of adopting children. Not only is it rare for couples to begin their lives like this, but it shows that the two were meant for each other. It was a match made in heaven, and these two were angels themselves.
They tumbled into love and got married in 2014. The deep love they shared right from the start grew into a special bond that was ideal for foster parenting. What those children need most is love, and this couple had more than enough to go around.
Seven Years Later
It had been seven years since she first revealed to Stuart the dream she had. On their first date, not even fifteen minutes into it, Stuart questioned her about what she wanted to do with her life. She was just 19 years old when he asked what her dream career was, where she wanted to travel, and if she wanted kids. Those were some big questions for a first date.
She said she didn’t really know what she wanted to do, but she did say she knew one thing for sure, if she was going to have children in her life, it would be because she was fostering them. Two weeks after their honeymoon, they began foster parent training. Seven years later, they waited in a courtroom to become parents of two boys.
On the Road to Becoming Foster Parents
That momentous first date led to marriage. Sara tells it like this: They got married a few years later and went on their honeymoon. Two weeks after they came home, they decided they were going to start their foster parent training. She added that they were in agreement that they would just do short-term emergency care/respite to start. They were planning on fostering babies and toddlers.
If it seems like a lot for a new couple to take on, it is! Sara says she felt proud of Stuart’s commitment to her dream. The loving couple was embarking on a challenging but rewarding journey. From the start, Sara said that she never felt compelled to have biological children, and it just made sense if kids in their community need a place to stay and they had a house, that is what they would do.
Fostering Babies and Toddlers
The couple agreed to foster young children. As newlyweds, taking care of babies feels like a natural step toward parenting. You have to start somewhere! Still, as any parent or caretaker knows, babies are cute but not easy. This would be a huge and important learning curve for Sara and Stuart.
Sara was only 23 when she and her husband began their lives as foster parents. She always dreamed of adopting a baby. She and her husband jumped in feet first. Like any new parent, they bought cribs and car seats and went a little overboard shopping for baby clothes.
The First Foster Baby
Foster parenting was becoming a reality for the loving pair. As soon as the couple was licensed for fostering, they were called to take in a baby for a week. They loved it! Everything went really well, and they were glad to be called again to foster a sweet 3-year-old for the weekend.
In the beginning, they fostered many young children. The couple brought them into their home and loved them like their own. In all, they fostered 17 children on the road to their dream of adopting two. They did care for babies, but overall, Sara said that they had had older kids placed with them, and she's so glad for it.