No one wants an independent 16 year old, I was lucky enough that one lady did. She took me in after already having two other little ones in her care. She didn't mom me, but treated me like a human and understood my need for independence. But still was there for me with anything I needed.

We have 18 kids. We truly believe that every child and/or young adult deserves a safe and permanent place, even if it's not necessarily adoption, like what we have done. We have always lived by that principle, knowing that if we never give up on a child, they will either be able to stay with us or move back to their permanent family/home. The blessing and reward is to us -- they give us much more than what we give them.

Jim Hatch is a foster parent in Maine. He also serves on the Council of State Affiliates to the National Foster Parent Association and is an amazing champion for children and families. He participated in this video produced by CHAMPS and shares insights about the importance of peer support for foster parents. 

My foster parents are amazing because they loved me and treated me as they would their own child, even to this day. They showed that they cared by setting boundaries, they forgave, and they loved. All I wanted and needed was love and their love was limitless.

We didn’t give birth or adopt. But some days we are parents, waking up early to get the kids to school or helping with homework in the evenings. We have celebrated three 18th birthdays with our kids. We were parents about every other month last year for anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. We are a kind of parent people seldom talk about and frankly we didn’t even know existed until a few years ago. What we are is respite or short-term foster parents. We provide a home to teens when they are between placements, just entering the system, waiting for another family to finish the licensing process, when their parents have to be out of the state or country, or when any number of other life events occur.

Having been in foster care for years and not knowing what it was like to be in a family or loved caused many hardships and troubles in that phase of my life. But thankfully I met a family who wanted to not only adopt me, but to cherish, love, care for me and to help me grow, spiritually and otherwise! Though I may take this amazing gift I received of family and adoption for granted, I am beyond grateful for it. My mom and dad have a heart for adopting teens, the ones who often get left behind and grow out of the foster care system, but because of their love for adopting in such a way I am truly thankful for them.

In his blog, Rich writes about a toddler he and his wife fostered: "Her bumpy journey from fear and suspicion to love and trust was just one of the amazing transitions we were privileged to witness during her stay with us. Arriving as a wary and withdrawn toddler, she left as an outgoing and expressive pre-schooler. Despite its shortcomings, our family was an instrument of positive change in a formative period of a little girl’s life. No, it wasn’t easy, but rarely so are the most meaningful experiences in life.  So when the call comes again, we will probably shake off the jitters just as in many times past. We are foster parents."

• The Thompson's teen foster daughter shares these thoughts: "I have moved around so much, I never had that [home] until I was put into foster care for three years. I was put into this beautiful place, with loving parents, with a loving and supportive home. That is where my heart is and will always be. It feels like home, it feels as if I finally belonged and finally found my important place
• The Thompson's teen biological daughter shares these thougths: "Soon it became routine to add another plate at the dinner table until one day the call came and we added two at the same time, teen siblings. Since I am outgoing, I look forward to every new child that is placed in our home. Nevertheless, two girls my age was the icing on the cake. Immediately the three of us were attached at the hip. We shared thoughts, friends, and food. I was devastated when they moved to Utah to enter into a guardianship with their brother, but I knew that was what they wanted and the best decision for them. They visit once a year and continue to impact my life every day."