We are onto the part of what type of child would we accept. The list of circumstances is long and prayer provoking. Different race? Disabilities? Mental illness? Sexually Abused? Product of rape or incest? Part of a sibling group? Exposed to drugs or alcohol? Everything unknown? All of it takes faith, even birthing your own healthy child from your womb.
They say that 80% of children in foster care have been sexually abused. Many times it is not even known until they are in a family where they build enough trust to discuss it or traumatic memories resurface. There are many types of abuse of this type from exposure to inappropriate material to the unthinkable.
The advice I think that will serve us well regardless of what we can accept and what we cannot is, LET OUR NO BE OUR NO. In other words, if we say we can take a single child ages 5-9 do not buckle when they call with twin newborns. Or if you want a child under 3 do not cave in when they call and say we have a new baby but it comes with an 8 year old. If you are not able to be comfortable with medically fragile children no matter how rosy the picture is painted about the prognosis do not be swayed.
That is not to say any of these situations are bad but whatever you feel God is leading you to stick with it and do not take on something He is not calling you to. We went through several scenarios in class and I already saw myself letting my heart get away from me. The bible says our heart is deceitful. Stick with God's plan. Case workers have a heart too, and they live with the idea of all these kids that are not placed with a family. They also know how terrific some of the kids are. Unfortunately, it's easy for them to become persuasive at convincing you that you can handle a situation that God isn't calling you to. Not to paint them in an unethical light, I am sure I would sell you on a child or sibling group too! Remember "No Must Be No"!
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