Since May is National Foster Care Awareness Month, I will be bringing you stories every week from the different perspectives of the foster care community – agency workers, foster parents, vulnerable adults, and children.
To kick off our episodes for this month, today I’m sharing my conversation with Candace Franklin, who is not only a Social Worker Supervisor, but also a foster parent and advocate for the foster care community.
In this episode, Candace reminds us that there is a place for you to step into this community, and shares what her life as a worker is like, how challenges with infertility have influenced her journey, and the joy she gets to see when reunification is possible.
I hope this episode is a support to you this week!
(Starting today, applications are open for YOU to become a TFI Advocate, bridging the gap between foster care agencies and churches right in your local community. Learn more and apply here!)
TAKEAWAYS FROM TODAY’S CONVERSATION:
1. Reunification is possible.
We often share about the importance of remembering that the goal of foster care is reunification whenever possible. In Candace’s role as a Social Worker Supervisor, she gets to see the joy and beauty that comes as a result of reunification! As we seek to provide safety and consistency for however long children need us, it’s good and valuable for them to feel a connection and longing for their family.
“I love to see families being reunited and I love to see children see the progress their parents have made. At the end of the day, these children love their parents.”
2. Use the waiting to prepare.
It seems like we experience waiting regardless of our role in the foster care community. Whether you are waiting for a placement, waiting for paperwork to clear, or waiting for something else, we all experience waiting! But instead of viewing the seasons of waiting as “wasted” time, use it to prepare your heart, mind, and home. God has a purpose in the waiting even if we can’t see it for ourselves in the moment.
“In the waiting, it doesn’t just mean you sit still. We are praying and we are educated and doing everything to prepare for the children we may serve.”
3. There are always needs to be met.
Even if you can’t be a foster parent, caseworker, or provide respite care, there is still so much to be done. We encourage you to reach out to a foster family, a local agency, or local foster care organizations to ask what needs you could help meet. You’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone that doesn’t have a list of things you can help with!
“Even if you can’t be a foster parent right now, reach out and say, ‘Hey, what can we do?’”
Today’s episode is sponsored by Samaritan Ministries, a community of Christians paying one another’s medical bills. It’s not insurance and there are no networks, which puts you in charge of your health care. It’s Biblical, affordable, and you can join anytime of the year.
Meet Our Guest
Candace Franklin is a foster parent, advocate, and Social Worker Supervisor with the Department of Social Services in North Carolina. Candace has a BS in Psychology and Human Services as well as a Master’s in Human Services focusing on marriage and family. In her spare time, she enjoys the company of her husband, Charlie, and their Goldendoodle, Joy, singing karaoke during long drives, and hanging out with her sweet nieces.
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