They say if you want to climb a mountain, go with someone who’s climbed one before…That saying couldn’t be more true in the world of foster care. Providing for the needs of kids from hard places, while an honorable pursuit, is a challenge for even seasoned veterans like Lauren Bedevian, the guest on this week’s Mamas Well Podcast.

During her tenure as a foster mom Lauren has cared for 12 children and learned invaluable lessons on how to manage two of the things she sees as the major hurdles facing foster parents. The first is educating your sphere of influence on how they can become a part of positioning you for the long haul as a foster parent. Lauren, a single foster mom, learned early on that it is a non-negotiable to ask for what she needs in the way of time and resources related to caring for the kids in her home. That means getting over the discomfort of asking for help in order to be a help to others.

In addition, Bedevian has learned that grieving the removal of foster placements is essential to remaining committed to the fostering process. This is true for all the tenured foster parents out there that stand in the gap for children who need a safe place to stay on their way to permanency. An occupational hazard of fostering is that, when doing the job well, you fall in love with the kids in your care, and when they move on, there is pain. While understanding that grief is part of the deal won’t make it any easier, it is helpful to surround yourself with others who understand the hurt you feel and can be available to support you through the grieving process.

Watch or listen to this week’s episode to hear more words of wisdom from Lauren and to hear more about the joy and fulfillment that her role as a foster mom brings to her life.

Audio only

DEEPER DOWN THE WELL