Everyday fostering - Respite Wonders (Lee Hwa)


Respite carers are an important part in our fostering system. We thank God for these wonderful angels who come in to help when foster parents need help for a few hours or days! Here is our 3rd installment of Everyday Fostering from the eyes of our HFG respite carer, Lee Hwa, who has been such a blessing to foster parents and children! We do pray for more great respite carers like Lee Hwa!

<Everyday fostering : Respite Wonders>

""Auntie Lee Hwa, I will be a good boy!” This was one of the sentences little Chris said to me when I first helped Vivienne Ng for respite care. Chris was Vivienne’s foster child and was a very playful 4yo boy with ADHD. His behaviours had led to him being “kicked out” of a few childcare centres for some serious mischief. But you see, Chris was a broken child… he was deeply traumatised by his removal from his mother whom he loves deeply. When the day came for me to take him out, I gave him my attention, we played & talked about anything he wished to talk about! I was reminded that God accepted me as I am, I also decided to accept him as he was – a child who was deeply hurt in his past and who needed much sensitive care and love. God was good! For more than 3 years, I took Chris out for day outings. Chris was always unbelievably obedient & well behaved! I rejoice that Chris is now in P1 and returned to birth mom.

Trisha, a 5yo girl was another child for whom I helped with weekly Saturday respite care. My family loved having her over in my home! In one of our usual chit-chats, Trisha shared with me about her visit to see her dad in the hospital, she told me “if my family die, I will create my mommy, my daddy, my brothers, my 大姑, my 小姑 to be with me again!"..."My uncle & auntie (foster parents) are not family, I cannot create them!" This was 5yo logic of course but it struck me powerfully! Even though her foster parents gave lots of love and care, somehow there is that special place for her birth family. It wasn’t that Trisha doesn't appreciate her foster parents' love… she did! But her need for her own family ran so deep.

I have been blessed to be able to help HFG foster parents as a respite carer. I have had the privilege to befriend natural moms in a few cases. Chris’ birth mother would share her struggles with me & I could encourage her to press on. My position as a respite carer allowed me to help foster parents & foster kids but also be continual support to birth moms as well in some situations.

Why do I do this? Foster parents provide love and care for the foster kids 24hrs, 7 days a week. Sometimes, they need help! Respite carers like me are part of this fostering system. This is one way for me to contribute, speak words of encouragement and act with love, empowered by God to be a part of the healing force in each young life God places in my path. God also grew my family’s understanding about fostering. While we can’t foster now, I pray in His time, my family will be able to do so one day!

"Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me..." Mark 9: 37a. As fellow sojourners in this broken world, pray many more Christian families, who have tasted God's Goodness, will step forward to welcome these little ones into their lives, so they can know that God’s healing!"

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