The call we'd been waiting for: "There's a baby for you." After an intensive foster care approval process, we finally got the green light to become foster parents. Approval was one milestone; the real thrill was that life-changing phone call.
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During that time, I was walking on air. We finally had certainty: our nursery would be filled, and we were approved as foster parents. I was ready for sleepless nights, dirty diapers, and endless bottles. No more evasive answers to friends and family asking about kids. Now, I'd be direct: "We can't afford a child of our own, but we'll soon give all our love to a foster child."
Hitting the baby aisles for a shopping spree? Not yet. We didn't know the gender—or, more importantly, the age. Fostering brings uncertainties. We'd registered for a child aged 0-12 months. A newborn's layette differs greatly from a one-year-old's. So, I held back. The big question: how much longer?
It was November 24, and I was at the cash register in my sales job. Nearly 5 p.m.—shift almost over. Suddenly, my partner Bert walked in. "What are you doing here?" I asked, surprised. "Foster care called," he said, voice laced with panic, stressing me out instantly. "What did they say?" He didn't know; they'd left a voicemail to call back, but he was too nervous alone. My colleagues, who'd supported us throughout, cheered: "Call now! Head to the warehouse."
Knees trembling, we retreated to the back warehouse for privacy to call foster care. They cut straight to it: "Lindsay, you can become a foster parent now—there's a baby for you." Tears streamed down my face. Questions flooded me, but they lacked full details too. "It's a girl, though we don't have the name yet. Pick her up within 4 days; you have 24 hours to decide."
Wow—things moved fast! We'd completed the approval process just a month earlier, and already a match. Unbelievable.
One key question: "How old?" "Born November 11." "What year?" I stammered. She laughed at my daze: "This year, ma'am—she's just 13 days old." A newborn! Perfect. "She's in the maternity ward, and frankly, she's in the way there." Hence the urgency. I promised we'd call back next day with our decision. Hanging up, Bert and I locked eyes—we knew: this girl was ours. We were becoming foster parents, and she was so welcome!
Shutterstock photo by Ramona Heim's Little Baby
