How Foster Care Brought Me My Miracle Family

Michelle Ablard never thought she’d have children of her own. She was a content, single, fifth grade schoolteacher with dogs and a mortgage. But then God orchestrated unexpected opportunities in Michelle’s life.

Like the day Michelle inexplicably felt God nudging her to quit her job. The idea made no sense. She was well paid, highly credentialed, and had a secure job in a field where others were struggling. She was invested in her school and community, yet Michelle couldn’t shake the feeling that God wanted her to quit.

She got a new job that opened the door for her to enter into foster parenting. It allowed her to have evenings and weekends free and to purchase a three-bedroom house, which at the time seemed too big for her as a single woman.

But Michelle was soon inundated by calls and texts from social workers who were desperate to place children. Jean and her brother, Charles, two kids who attended Michelle’s school, came up for adoption. They were brought to her home dressed in Halloween costumes, the only clothes they had. They were fearful about where they were going, but when they recognized Michelle, they excitedly jumped up and down and yelled, “That’s Ms. Ablard!”

At Focus on the Family, we believe children are a heritage from God and a blessing. That’s why so many of our programs are devoted to encouraging and equipping parents to fulfill the sacred calling of raising and shaping these precious lives for God’s kingdom.

And yet, we live in a fallen world. Many kids today grow up in broken families, some in dangerous families where they don’t have the love and protection and care that God intended for them. According to research, more than 390,000 children are in the U.S. foster care system, and there are an estimated 153 million orphans worldwide.

And what is the over-arching need these children have? Family. A place to call home, even if it’s a temporary home, where they can experience some stability and comfort, and hopefully, unconditional love.

Michelle Ablard is joining me on Focus on the Family with Jim Daly to share her remarkable journey to become a foster/adoptive parent.

Michelle says:

“Meshing three completely different lives together proved to create many challenges, many sleepless nights, and led me to ask myself what in the world I’ve gotten into many, many times. Those moments are no longer present as we have become a family … full of love, laughter and joy and now when one faces a mountain, we face it together. We don’t know what the future holds, but we do what we can each day to create beautiful memories together.”

Hear her full story on your local radio station, online, on Apple Podcasts, or on our free phone app.

I also encourage you to prayerfully consider if God is calling you into this same ministry. Even if you don’t feel led to adopt a child yourself, there are other ways to engage. Jean and I do respite care, and we’ve done foster care. Respite means you come around foster families and support them in their efforts. That could be taking the kids for a weekend, providing meals, doing laundry, or coming alongside a family prayerfully and emotionally. There are a lot of ways to play a part if you’re willing.

If you’re wondering where to start or need more information, visit our website Wait No More. We’ll help you discover what you can do to step into the life of a foster child in the name of Christ.

Michelle Ablard’s book Faith Builds a Family: A Journey of Faith, Hope and Healing is available for a gift of any amount. For more information, click here or call 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459).