[Mama Julie]

Hello,

I'm a foster parent, and was asked if we would want a concurrent placement of a 5 yr old boy with downs syndrome. I have 3 other kids, (2 adopted and one long-term foster, ages 7, 9 & 10), and my husband & I wonder if adding a Downs child to the mix would just be too much. How demanding are these children of a mom & dad's time?
I talked to the current foster mom (she has had him for 2 weeks.) She said he can entertain himself with toys, books, etc., and likes to play with kids. His biggest challenge is that he likes to run off and/or wander. He loves playing at the playground, and will take off running towards the playground the second he gets out of the car or outdoors. And if a parent stops him, he falls to the ground because he doesn't want to be stopped, and he is chubby so is hard to pick up.
The foster parent has had him just 2 weeks, and said that he had just asked her the day before if he could go to the park, and that was such a huge step. So, he can learn the correct way of doing things. He uses sign language and has very little speech.
Do you think we would be in way over our head? I don't want to miss an opportunity to accept a gift from God though, the way I hear some people talk about these children, they sound very special. Thanks for your input!
Julie