In Matthew 19:14, Jesus said to his disciples: “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
Matthew and Beth White took this to heart — and took action.
When they got married 10 years ago, Matthew brought two kids into the relationship and Beth already had three. Now, three of their kids are married, and the Whites get to enjoy the blessing of two grandsons!
However, four years ago this blended family chose to become a blessing themselves.
“Both of us had a heart for and felt called to the importance of foster care,” Matthew shared. “So about seven years ago, we started investigating and went to a meeting at our church about foster care.”
After the meeting, Matthew and Beth prayed about the potential of becoming foster parents.
“Beth came to me and said, ‘This is really on my heart, and I think it’s something we need to pursue.’ I have always believed in God’s calling. I’ve always believed that there’s a reason for it,” Matthew said.
“My only apprehension with moving forward at that time was my wife’s heart. She is one of the most loving, caring people I’ve ever met. I just had a deep concern for the pain that she would go through with letting go and being able to open up her home, and then turn around and children being gone [placed in a different home].”
The Lord, as He always does, met the Whites where they were and reassured them that foster parenting was exactly what He had planned for them.
“We immediately started the process,” Matthew said. “We got our licensing through the state. The organization we were working with at the time was unresponsive in helping us get our home study and everything else that we needed done. That’s when we decided to move over to Families 4 Families.
“As soon as we reached out, they were quick to respond and helpful. They were very glad to do whatever we needed to get everything taken care of. They were responsive [to our needs] from the start.”
In March of 2020, right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, the White family welcomed in their first foster placement for one week. Since then, the White family has welcomed 10 foster kids into their home with the help of Families 4 Families.
In the realm of foster care, there are many hoops to jump through, but Families 4 Families made the process smooth and supportive for the Whites.
“Why would you not work with someone who can serve as a buffer and be an extra set of eyes, ears, hands, everything, on your case to help you?” Matthew asked. “Families 4 Families can help you navigate many legalities you may not otherwise know.
“You’ve got rights as a foster parent. More importantly, you need to fight for the rights of your bonus children for the time that you have them. That’s why we do what we can to be advocates for them.”
One of the biggest ways Families 4 Families supports their foster families? It lets families like the Whites live as “normal” a life as possible.
“[F4F has been] able to either already have answers or quickly get us answers so that we could be focused on the other important things of life: the everyday. We’re not having to chase down caseworkers or attorneys,” Matthew continued. “They are always looking to find ways to support us, like giving us a gift card for dinner or bringing diapers by. Families 4 Families gives the added extra touch to make sure you know that they care.
“Having an organization like Families 4 Families is so important because they are about the children. They are about your family. They are about doing the things to make sure that you and your bonus kids have what you need, to be as successful [in this hard situation].”
When Matthew and Beth became foster parents, they knew that each child who walked through their door would not be there to stay. Those kids might be a part of the family for a week or several months.
In light of this, the Whites have sought to become a resource for the bio family even after a child leaves their home.
“Families 4 Families helps facilitate an opportunity for walking hand in hand with foster and bio parents so that the children are as successful as possible while in our care, and can hopefully have some foundational things moving forward,” Matthew said.
“[F4F is] an advocate for partner-parenting and seeks to connect with the bio parent(s) to make sure that they have success post-state involvement. If you are able to partner-parent, then you become a resource for that bio parent to lean on.”
Foster parents have a great responsibility to love their bonus children in a way that might be foreign to them.
“[Foster parenting] is something that could definitely have either a positive or a negative impact. It all depends on two things: 1) the motivation of the foster parents, and 2) the level of effort [given] by the foster parents,” he shared.
“If you have foster parents who are fighting for everything for these children, then it can have a positive impact on children that have, in some way, shape or form, been abused.
“The foster care system is not ideal, but it can help children be removed from a tough or a harmful situation just to give them a little bit of reprieve in their life.”
The Lord has given Matthew and Beth White a passion for foster care, and their passion includes the rest of the world.
“Every single one of us has a calling to foster care. Some of us have a calling to open up our homes. Some people can open up their wallets and financially support. For those who don’t feel like they can open up their home or even open up their wallet, every single person can pray. That’s what we all need every single day.
“Pray about where you fall [in this calling to foster care]. Pray about it, pray for us and Families 4 Families. Pray to see where God leads you to.”
Matthew and Beth are thankful for each individual who has given time, money or prayer to Families 4 Families’ ministry.
“I can’t say enough about the importance of working with Families 4 Families. Out of any organization that we’ve had exposure to, I would never consider working with another one. This is the organization that you need to work with,” Matthew said.
“For people who are looking to have an impact, at Families 4 Families, just know that your dollars are going to a place where God is being glorified and lives are being changed.”