December 14, 2023
by Maralee
Comments Off on Sibling Day Out Launch
Siblings matter to children in foster care. They provide a source of stability and comfort when everything around them is changing. Whenever it’s safe and appropriate, brothers and sisters are supposed to be placed in homes together. For various reasons, … Continue reading
August 18, 2022
by Maralee
Comments Off on The “Forgotten” Baby Sibling in a Large Family
Today I was listening to a podcast I like when I heard something I didn’t like. They were talking about an amazing woman who has done so much good for her community, but they started it by saying she was … Continue reading
August 16, 2022
by Maralee
Comments Off on To Octavia, On Your Adoption Day
Dear Tavia, The day we’ve waited for is here and I can’t wait to get you all dressed up in your yellow lace dress and take you to court so we can make it official. I spent hours and hours … Continue reading
June 9, 2022
by Maralee
Comments Off on My Son and The Baby Sister He Didn’t Want (a love story)
For many years I have been telling nervous potential foster parents that if God is asking you to become a foster family, he is also asking your kids. I have encouraged parents to talk to their children, include them in … Continue reading
February 15, 2019
by Maralee
6 Comments
My youngest child is four. I’ve given away almost all of the baby clothes and supplies. It’s been years since I changed a diaper or mashed a banana. I’ve forgotten what used to feel second-nature when it comes to mixing … Continue reading
November 7, 2018
by Maralee
5 Comments
The other afternoon I locked myself in my bathroom with a cup of coffee so I could listen to a radio interview without interruption. The interview was with someone very important to me. He was once a child at the … Continue reading
September 6, 2018
by Maralee
2 Comments
I have a lot kids, but you wouldn’t know it if you stopped by my home while my older kids are at school. I mean, you probably would know it from the amount of laundry waiting to be washed, or … Continue reading
August 10, 2018
by Maralee
Comments Off on They’ll Only Remember the Good Parts
Another summer is coming to a close and again I’m wondering if I did it wrong. This seems to be the way I spend the last weeks of every summer— feeling guilty, feeling frazzled, imagining all the things I could … Continue reading
May 29, 2018
by Maralee
1 Comment
In July of 2016 it became apparent to our family that there were some problems in the way the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services was interpreting the rights of siblings in our state when it came to their … Continue reading
April 27, 2018
by Maralee
Comments Off on Allow Your Kids to See the Reality of a Broken World
Yesterday was rough in all the best ways. I had three friends who contacted me to talk about frustrating situations they were involved in with foster kids and families in crisis. A friend whose voice I haven’t heard in over … Continue reading