When Elijah was 10 years old, his family welcomed a tiny foster baby to their home. A year later, he wrote this beautiful essay about their experience. His essay is being shared with his and his parents' permission. The name of their foster child has been changed to protect his privacy, and the photo used to represent them is a stock photo.

Many parents wonder how their biological children will be affected by welcoming a foster child into their home. Elijah's essay is a perfect reminder that foster care is a job for the whole family to do TOGETHER - and it can change everyone's life for the better!

Our Unexpected Gift

By Elijah H., age 11

One of the greatest blessings that my family has ever received was when we welcomed our first foster child, a boy named Liam, into our home on May 9, 2024. Since that day, my parents and my four younger brothers have all grown extremely close to Liam, and each of us has shared some very special moments with him.

Before we got him, Liam was found to be severely malnourished at only two months old and was sent to the hospital. He weighed only 5 pounds, which was over a pound less than he weighed at birth. The doctors told my mom that Liam would not have survived if he hadn't gotten to the hospital when he did. While in the NICU, Liam was put into the foster care system and was placed with us when he was ready to be discharged from the hospital.

We have had Liam with us for just over a year, and he has improved dramatically. He is just starting to stand without support and is increasingly speaking words clearer and clearer every day. It amazes me when I think about just how far Liam has come. Even though we spend a lot of time taking Liam to different therapies and doctor's appointments, I still can't believe how much of a blessing he has been since taking his place in our family and our hearts.

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