An unexpected decision

Nearly 3 months ago, as you know, we made the decision to move W and L from their current foster home to our home so that they could live together with their younger sister A.  What I may not have mentioned is that A is their half sister.   In most ways, being half siblings doesn't change anything but when it comes to making decisions for the children's future and making permanent plans, it does make a difference.  It means that more adults are involved and that things become a lot more complicated. 

To make these types of big decisions, meeting are called, allowing all involved adults to come together and discuss.  As foster parents, we are invited to meetings to express our concerns but generally we have very little input in regards to decisions about the children's future.  This is very hard; to care for a child and work very hard to bring siblings together and then have no real input about their future goes against everything that being a parent is. But it's reality. It's another reason why being a foster parent is such a difficult thing. 

Anyways, this week a meeting such as this was held to discuss A's future and it was decided that A will transition to live with her paternal great-aunt.  

It is very diffcult not to get emotional about this decision because we strongly feel that the children should stay together; that maintaining the sibling bond should always be the first priority.  

Unfortunately, this will not happen. 

We will miss baby A very much but more heartbreaking is that W and L are going to miss out on living with their sister. No matter how many visits are arranged, and how many play dates are had, nothing will replace the bonding that happens in the simple daily moments of life. 

Right now we are still processing all of this. 

We are praying for peace in our hearts, for peace in our minds as we process this unexpected decision and for wisdom to know how to move forward.  We pray for a clear vision of what God's will is for us and our family. 

We pray for A as she moves from the only family she knows into a new environment and for that family as they adjust to a new baby in their home. 

Finally, I ask that you join me in praying for W and L. Having a sibling move away is, yet again, another transition for them to process and it may bring up some very strong emotions that they don't yet have the tools to handle. We are hoping that this doesn't make them regress and that we don't loose too much of the progress we have made in the last 7 weeks.