The Life-Changing Value of Foster Care

Tears soaked the seats of the minivan, echoing from the hearts of children who just said goodbye to the sister they'd loved for over two years. For them, it wasn’t just a transition it was loss. For their mother, the grief was more than emotional. It was spiritual, physical, existential. And in that moment, she vowed: “We’re done. This is too much. This can’t be worth it.”

But then came the question every foster parent eventually faces, the one that pierces through the haze of exhaustion and emotion. Is foster care worth it?

The answer, found not in feelings but in eternal truth, is an unwavering yes. It’s worth it because children are worth it. Families are worth it. And most of all, Jesus is worth it.

Children Are Worth It

When the disciples tried to shoo children away from Jesus, He was “indignant” (Mark 10:14). That’s a strong word Jesus wasn’t merely annoyed. He was righteously angry at the idea that these little ones didn’t belong near Him.

“Let the children come to me,” He said, and then He embraced them and blessed them.

This is the heart of foster care. It’s not rooted in idealism or savior-complexes. It begins in the truth that every child, even the most traumatized and difficult, is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). That means:

• The newborn shaking from drug withdrawal is precious.

• The toddler who screams through the night is precious.

• The teen who won’t make eye contact or speak for days is precious.

Not because of what they can give or how they behave, but because they bear the divine imprint of the Creator.

James 1:27 calls caring for the orphan and widow “pure religion.” It’s not just a good idea. It’s a holy calling. Every act of love toward a child in foster care is a declaration: You are not forgotten. You are not disposable. You are worth it.

Families Are Worth It

Many foster parents begin their journey with the unspoken goal of rescue rescuing a child from a “bad” situation. But the gospel paints a more complex, more redemptive picture. The goal of foster care isn’t just to protect a child it’s often to restore a family.

Yes, families are broken. But all families are broken. Sin has shattered God’s design for the home in every context. Foster care exists not to judge that brokenness, but to stand in the gap while healing takes place.

God invented the family. He made it to mirror His own love and faithfulness. And when families fall apart, God doesn’t walk away. He steps in. He restores. And foster care gives His people a front-row seat in that holy work.

Supporting reunification is not betraying the child. It’s believing that the gospel is big enough to reach addicted mothers, abusive fathers, and generational cycles of trauma. It’s remembering that we too were far off and He welcomed us home.

Ephesians 2:10 says we were created for good works. Foster care, with all its complexity, is a good work when it’s done for God’s glory. When we advocate not just for the safety of children but for the redemption of families, we participate in God's grand story of restoration.

Foster Care Is Hard But So Was the Cross

Let’s not sugarcoat it: foster care is brutally hard. It’s good, but it’s also grief.

• It’s peeling a child’s arms off your neck so they can visit someone who’s hurt them.

• It’s standing beside a parent in court knowing they may relapse tomorrow.

• It’s attending therapy after therapy, meltdown after meltdown, knowing there’s no quick fix.

But when Jesus said, “Take up your cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24), He wasn’t inviting us into ease. He was inviting us into His life a life of costly love.

Romans 12:1 calls us to present our bodies as living sacrifices. Foster care is one of the most tangible ways to do that in our modern world. It’s a daily dying to self for the good of another. It’s inconvenient, uncomfortable, and often unappreciated. But it’s also sacred.

In Matthew 25:40, Jesus says, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these…you did for me.” That includes sleepless nights, court hearings, birth parent visits, and endless paperwork. Every sacrifice, every act of love, is an offering to Jesus.

Because Jesus Is Worth It

In the end, foster care is not about how resilient we are or how strong our families are. It’s not about how perfect the outcomes are. It’s about how glorious Jesus is.

We don’t stay in foster care because it’s always rewarding. We stay because He is always worthy.

The children matter. The families matter. But above all, the reason we keep saying yes again and again is because we love Jesus, and He leads us here.

We were never promised ease. But we were promised this: “Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 10:39). And in every tear shed in a minivan, every goodbye whispered through sobs, every prayer whispered over a broken birth parent, we find Him.

Foster care costs a lot. But living for Jesus costs more. And it’s worth every single drop.

If this resonated with your heart, share it with someone wrestling with the weight of foster care or subscribe to our newsletter for more faith-rooted encouragement.