The Moment It Finally Felt Real
There’s something oddly stressful about being told, “You’re officially approved for foster care!”… while simultaneously having absolutely nothing in your hands to prove it.
Apparently my brain needed receipts. 😭
Becoming foster parents wasn’t exactly a quick little sign-up process either. We gathered paperwork like we were preparing for a top-secret mission. Background checks, fingerprints, clearances, foster care training classes, interviews, home studies…
At one point I’m pretty sure they knew enough about us to cast someone to play me in a movie. 😅
And after all of that?
We were told we were officially active foster parents.
Which SHOULD have been enough, right?
Technically… yes.
But my brain kept going: “Okay… but where’s the proof though?” 👀
The Foster Care Approval Process Felt Endless
Anyone who has gone through the foster care approval process probably understands this feeling.
You spend months filling out paperwork, answering deeply personal questions, taking classes, completing clearances, and preparing your home for children you haven’t even met yet.
Then one day someone tells you: “You’re approved.”
And suddenly… that’s it.
No dramatic movie music. No confetti. No magical moment where everything suddenly feels real.
Just waiting.
In our case, they told us they mailed our foster care approval letter.
Then apparently mailed again.
Then mailed AGAIN… again. 😅
At this point I started wondering if our approval letter was traveling across Pennsylvania by horseback.
Meanwhile, weeks kept passing.
And even though we were technically approved and active, part of my brain still felt stuck in limbo. Like I had studied for the biggest test of my life, the teacher verbally told me I passed…
…but wouldn’t hand me the actual paper.
So your brain just sits there like: “Cool cool cool… but did I REALLY pass though?” 😭
Why the Foster Care Approval Letter Mattered So Much
Did we actually need the physical foster care approval letter to receive a placement call?
No.
But emotionally? It mattered way more than I expected.
That paper represented:
the foster care training
the interviews
the clearances
the home study
the waiting
the preparation
the emotional roller coaster of becoming foster parents
Seeing that paper made everything feel real.
We actually completed the foster care licensing process.
Proof that someone looked at our home, our lives, and our family and said: “Yes. You’re approved to care for children.”
And honestly? Seeing those words hit me harder than I expected.
Finally Receiving Our Foster Care Approval Letter
After a little over 11 weeks and three mailing fails…
…I finally received the approval letter by email.
The second I opened it, my heart jumped.
Not because I didn’t believe my caseworker before…
…but because suddenly it finally felt complete.
Like the foster care licensing process finally had an ending point instead of just floating in uncertainty.
We’re officially approved for up to two children in our home.
And somehow that sentence feels both exciting and terrifying at the same time. 😅
Now We Wait for the Foster Care Placement Call
So now the paperwork is here.
The approval is official.
The extra bedroom is ready.
And now we wait for the foster care placement call that could change everything.
Which honestly might be the hardest part of all.
Until next time, have a blessed day.