FOSTER CARE P articipating in the foster care system required great patience and courage on the part of the temporary parents, who knew theirtime with their foster child might end at any moment. Brandon Lowe, human resources associate, and Jennifer Lowe, administrative assistant to the English Department, knew the challenges, but they also recognized the need for foster parents. They decided to become foster parents in April 2012, and fostered three children under the age of 2: Kabe, Mason and Tyler. Jennifer said that their decision to minister to these children was life changing for their family. "We want to adopt," Jennifer said. "[Foster parenting] seems like the best way to do that. When you are a foster parent, you may be helping other parents who cannot care for their own children. You could even be helping a child feel welcomed into a family that he has never had." The process of becoming foster parents involved an intensive round of paperwork, training and home visits. According to Jennifer, the Lowes had to make almost all of their personal documentation, from marriage licenses to insurance information, available to the Department of Human Services. They also had to make sure their home was arranged according to regulation, putting chemical products and medicines in locked cabinets and installing a fire extinguisher. Despite the excitement of becoming foster parents, Brandon said he was initially unsure of his ability to parent children coming from difficult home situations. "Even though I was scared and nervous, God gave me the strength and courage to be a great dad and loving parent," Brandon said. "I believe that God doesn't call the equipped, he equips the called." The Lowes received their first foster child, Kabe, when he was only 4 weeks old. After eight months of caring for him, Kabe was returned to the care of his biological mother. Brandon said that the experience was truly heartbreaking, but God took care of the situation and taught them humility. "I believe that God placed Kabe into our lives to bless us and teach us how much we have,'' Brandon said. "His presence brought our family and home closer to God." After Kabe, the Lowes received two more boys: Mason, 15 months, and Tyler, 20 months. Jennifer said that as a Christian, she felt like it was her duty to help these children, and she never regretted that decision, despite how hard the responsibilities could be sometimes. Assistant Director of Admissions 2013 alumna Neely Wolf first met the Lowes while interning at Searcy Children's Home. After their first encounter, Wolf began watching the foster children once a week. Wolf said that she immediately noticed the love the Lowes had for their children. "The Lowes have made many transitions in their family to meet the needs of their children," Wolf said. "They have made a lot of sacrifices and have been through a lot with these children. It has been really impressive to see." Although their family endured many changes, Jennifer said that foster parenting brought so much joy to their family. According to Jennifer, she believed that foster parenting was something that every family should consider. Despite the pain of ultimately relinquishing a child back to foster care or to their biological parents, fostering was a rewarding experience. "We have learned that love is unconditional, and no matter how bad it hurts when a child leaves, every bit of the pain is worth it, just to know what good you've done in that child's life," Jennifer said. "The reason it hurts so bad is because you have the capacity to love so deeply. We have learned patience, humility and compassion. Our spiritual life and our marriage have both become so much stronger." Bethany Nicholson 213
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