You go into foster care with the hope to help a troubled child or 2 and then you come to find out that there is so much involved:the children's issues, the bfamily issues/contact, SW 's, Guardian ad Litem's, licensing workers, court hearings, termination trial's, waiting for appeals, waiting to see if you will be able to adopt, waiting to see if the parent will succeed or not on their caseplan, trying to get a goodnight's sleep or a chance to shower , waiting to see if the sibling's will be split, waiting to see if you will get a sibling at birth, waiting for the judges rulings, working with the school district on Special Ed status,
children's behaviors after visits, lack of support for your family (financially,emotionally or mentally) from the agency, having to schedule your life around doctor appts, dental appts, bparent visits, SW/GAL visits , etc.
It can be very draining and it is not that I am complaining but the reality of it is that it is very mentally, physically , and especially emotionally taxing to be a foster parent. I do believe unless you experience it yourself by becoming foster parenting , that you cannot relate to what it is really like.
Am I saying I regret doing it ? No way ! However, not all days are a bed of roses and I certainly don't handle things like Mother Theresa would on any typical day but, I am doing what I can, one day at a time, for any child I can. If I can keep that focus on the dark days it will make the bright days brighter !!
Hang in there.