Okay... survey time:

Foster parenting...
(pick one, or insert your own)
admirable, but not for me
tell me more, sounds interesting
No F'N way
Where do I sign up

Right now, would have to choose the admirable.

When I get older, and actually have two feet on the ground, maybe tell me more.

<---has had over 37 foster kids
and ran a group home too...

So I am all for it....

That is awesome... how inspirational!

my parents were foster parents for a long time, for me, it was miserable.

Admirable

its a totally different perspective being a kid having very very troubled foster kids coming in and out of your home. If I didn't have my own kid, I would consider it being a foster parent, but not now.

We foster'ed to adopt a little girl.. it was a great experience to save a child from a horrible situation and go on to later give her a life she would have never had.. Probably not for everyone, but I think it is probably the best thing I have ever done in life.

where do i sign up?
i would LOVE to do this. even moreso, i would LOVE to adopt.
good topic:)

that's pretty stand up i admire you for that,

FI was adopted as a baby and would LOVE to be a foster parent.

If you live near Austin, Texas I can recommend a good agency to go through. but look for private agencies that work with the state programs. There are some really good ones out there.

Very admirable, and I know people who have done it.

I applaud them.

But parenting of any kind is not for me....

Well, I went through foster care, I am soon going to school to be a social worker, and look forward to being a foster parent someday!

an interesting perspective... a biological child in the home of children in foster care. I work in a group home with adolescent boys with emotional/behavioral issues, and I could imagine if they were placed in a family with children already living there, they would steal all the attention as a result of their emotional and behavioral issues.

Jill...

Having kids of my own when I fostered
was hard on them too so I understand
how you feel...But now that they are older
and on their own they are thinking about
fostering also...

my parents are great people and I admire what they did as being foster parents. However, since the foster kids were so troubled, we got pushed aside. Our house was in constant chaos, runaways, screaming, fighting, etc etc. We had many caseworkers that didn't care. It's not as easy as the commercials make it sound.
That being said, you really can change someone's life forever. And there are many many kids that just deserve a chance. I'm not against being a foster parents, I'm just saying put a lot of thought into it and don't let it take away from your family. As long as it adds to your family, go for it.

I think it is very admirable. I have some friends who fostered 27 boys over the years and have adopted three of them.

Wow... thank you everyone for sharing all your opinions and life experiences... how inspirational and eye opening!

Thank you :) I however would never be a foster parent. It literally took so much away from me growing up. I could go on and on but I will spare u the details.