During Compassion in Action tours, the staff at LSS/NCA tell stories of people we have served. Sometimes, we are fortunate enough to have these people as guests at our tours and occasionally, they will share their own story.
One of our foster mothers, Ms. Kim, attended hoping to learn more about the other programs of LSS/NCA and she had brought her son and two foster daughters along with her. After hearing our stories, Ms. Kim asked Allison—the littlest of the children—if she would like to tell her story.
Allison, at just 8 years old, informed us that she was in her elementary school classroom one day when some of her classmates began to speak poorly about foster children. Some students said, “Those kids are bad. That’s why their parents don’t want them.” Allison wondered how anyone could believe that foster children were to blame and she wanted everyone to know that she wasn’t a bad kid.
Immediately, Allison stood up and told her classmates “Children in foster care are not there because they are bad. It’s not a child’s fault that parents don’t do the right thing. It’s not the child’s fault!” The classroom fell silent. Everyone was looking at her as she then told them she was in foster care. No one had any idea because she had kept it a secret until that moment.
Allison told us that her classmates thought her foster mother and sister were her biological mom and sister. She said “We all seemed so normal to them. And I’d like to think that we are normal, that being in a foster home doesn’t make me different or bad.”
Allison began to cry from remembering the mean things her classmates had said about children like her. Ms. Kim gave her a big hug after she had finished telling her story to the group of LSS/NCA staff and guests. Before she took her seat we heard her whisper, “I’m just so thankful for Ms. Kim giving me a home until I can find a permanent family. I try to be a good girl so that Ms. Kim won’t send me away.” We were all so moved by her story and her bravery. For us, Alison represents all the children we serve. She is not bad and she does deserves a good home and loving parents as much as any other child. We are so glad that she knows that and because of Ms. Kim she has the courage to tell others.
Allison is expected to reach permanency status within the coming months which means she will be adopted into a loving home. Despite a difficult childhood and the absence of her birth parents, Allison is becoming a brave and compassionate young girl and we are excited to see all the wonderful things she will accomplish.
If you live in the Washington DC area and are interested in becoming a foster parent, visit our website today.
Serve Boldly 
May God bless Mrs. Kim and all caring, compassionate Foster Parents. These children are in care out of need, not punishment. They need the love and stability of family, not warehousing or being “dumped” on anyone. And bless Allison and others who know they are worthy of, and show, respect, love, compassion, persistence,,, all the attributes we wish for and would grant those in need.