Foster Care: Our Story

My name is Marlene Shirley and I want to share a little of our story and the reason our family felt led to start Cedar Park Foster Care Ministries.

When Jason and I were dating we talked about what our family would look like one day. How many children we wanted, names for those children, what sports they would play…just simply dreaming. One thing we both agreed on was adoption was going to be part of our family. We wanted older children and we wanted to adopt more then one, possibly a sibling group.

When Jason and I married we had our biological children much faster then we intended. Our first presentation Sunday after we were married we were up at the altar praying for other couples and low and behold 9 months later we had Roman. Two and a half years later we had Alexis and we felt we were done having children. However, the thought of adoption was never far from our minds. As our kids got older there were several events that took place in our lives where we knew God was leading us to adopt.

We started the adoption process in October 2006 through Antioch Adoptions and Olive Crest Foster Care. By July of 2007 we had met Zoey and Judah and they had moved in with us. Six months to the day after they moved in with us their adoption was finalized. We just celebrated their one year adoption anniversary on January 18th, 2009. The adoption has not been without growing pains. As they have adjusted to our family and ours to them we have seen God move not only in our lives but in the lives of all four of our children.

The adoption process is what led us to care for foster children. We felt we would just adopt a couple of children and that would be it. During the process however, we were educated in foster care and what goes on with these children when they’re in the system.

Jason and I attended an event called Kids Fest. It’s a carnival type event put on by the state where foster children who are legally free come with their foster parents and parents who are looking to adopt also attend. We got to meet the kids and play and have lunch with them. Before the event started the potential parents were pulled into a room and we were given guidelines on what was appropriate communication with the foster children. I don’t remember much about the guidelines they were giving us because I was shocked to see how many gay and lesbian couples were there to adopt. Over half of the potential parents represented were from alternative lifestyles. I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach during the event and on the drive back home that day I knew that God was calling us to get involved in foster care on a long term basis. The thought of those children going into some of those homes changed something in me. I believe it was the Holy Spirit telling us it was our time to step into the area of foster care and get involved.

…and that is why we have started Cedar Park Foster Care Ministries.