I was a foster kid. Me and my sister got placed with our parents when we were young, back in 1993. Back in 2000, we were officially adopted. We love our parents and they are amazing. They shaped me into the woman/mom I am today. So thank you for fostering and being a blessing. Cause some kids aren't as fortunate. I am 34 this year. I am a mom of 2 and my kids adore my parents I love getting to know you and your family. Much love and continuous blessings.
When you mentioned life skills, i think everyone should know how to do certain things. Like cook, clean their home or rooms, how to manage a check book. How to change a tire. Just normal everyday things. You and Luke are Soooooo increasingly awesome!!! Thank you for being awesome people!!! The kids are lucky!!!
My husband and I have 3 grown children. I am blessed to stay home with the dogs during the day. We have been talking about foster care. I would love to just be a safe place. You are an inspiration and I wish more people were like your family!!
My parents struggled with fertilty as well. My sister was adopted and then my mom became pregnant with me. I have a ton of respect for you and your husband. May God continue to bless you and your beautiful family. 🙏 👍 ❤
I was going to ask you if you can still foster but you answered it. Not all foster homes are perfect as your is. Some people do it for the money and use the kids for "slaves"..God bless you both❤️❤️❤️
Foster care nowadays is NOTHING like it used to be! I was severely beaten by a few Foster parents. Then they would say things like: No wonder your mom didn't want you.. I was called ugly.. I was SA, on top of the physical & mental abuse. I was told it was my fault for everything that ever happened to me. When I finally fought back against the SA, I was locked up in a hospital like setting to get evaluated. By that time I had tried to unalive myself & kept running from every place I was put. All those 'Christian' families only took kids in for the $$ & notoriety in their fkn church 🙄 back then. (Plus free slave labor. ) I was so glad when I was finally put into a group home, I actually thrived there ..there was real rules. I wasn't forced to do things or attend church. Which I resented big time for obvious reasons. As an adult, I still have that hatred towards 'Christians ' , and most of them deserve it. I don't come across too many decent humans that are Christians, unfortunately. Not saying they're ALL bad...its just my experience there's only 5% of GOOD Christian people out there. The trauma from growing up in Foster care has carried on into my adult life , and I have to work on that every single day. The anxiety, the anger, the PTSD & nightmares too.
@Asphalt Cowboy Mafia I'm so sorry you experienced that. No one deserves that. I'm glad you came through a better person! If you ever feel like therapy could help please don't hesitate. I'm sure there's alot of ppl that have been through this. God Bless you. I hope you have a wonderful life that you deserve ❤
I have had a large amount of Foster Children and I have the exact same beliefs as you do. Sometimes it was very hard to keep the biological families always involved but now that they are grown I know for sure it was definitely the right decision because all my children are amazing and doing amazing and its because they all had a HUGE family and knew they had all their family both foster and birth.
My husband was adopted as his adopted Mom and Dad were told they couldn't conceive..after Bryan came they found out they were pregnant w his sister. Mom makes it a point to say that HE is HER son bc she never wants him to think that she favors the sister instead. They really are BOTH treated equally ❤..he has no desire to find his birth family right now. Maybe he will later in life. But when our son was born when I was almost 38 we had to see a genetic dr and couldn't answer certain health questions bc we didn't know. Our son was born and hes healthy thankfully..but i think its incredibly important for the kids to know the birth family if possible. I would love to foster kids now. Its too quiet 😂 and I think maybe just 1 or 2 we could provide a wonderful home to them. So its definitely a discussion to have w my husband..ty for sharing this!❤
I adopted older siblings from the system in Tennessee, who was sued and now has very strict laws protecting foster children. The training and support you’re talking about is available there if you go private….A certain percentage of foster kids are supervised by social workers at Private Agencies. I adopted thru Miriam’s Promise. A Methodist Organization. They provided support/education before during and after adoption. They could be a wonderful resource to figure out how to start educating and supporting Foster Families. 💕 Thank you for your wonderful loving caring heart!
Oh my gosh I've been watching you guys for over a year and this the first time I realized that you all are from Michigan, like me... I live in the Bloomfield Hills area of Michigan in Southeast Michigan.... I knew it had to be a reason why felt like home watching you guys..... Michiganders are just Loving people, and I see that in your family...God bless
You are so right about the resentment . To lie about being adopted is not ok. It is so important to be honest and let the child decide what they want to do with the information. You and your husband are so loving and caring to take in all the kids and love them and allowing the birth families to be involved. Like you said it takes a village it is so true.
I love this channel! I have 2 kiddos, 10 and 14, whose father and I are no longer together. Obviously, no one creates a family and has children with someone anticipating separation someday. But... as we all know, things happen. Although it is not the same situation you are speaking of, I am always so very thankful that my children have so many people who love them! Their Dad is with a new partner, as am I. I feel so fortunate that they have a wonderful stepmother and stepfather. On top of the step parents... there are step- grandparents, siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles who all treat them so incredibly! I am constantly so grateful for that. I know many parents in a similar situation to mine who may get jealous of step-family, or may "remind" their children... "well, that's not your REAL Grandma", etc. While I do understand how it can feel to "share" your child with others in their lives, I just choose to be thankful for ALL of the people they have around them that truly love and care for them. ❤
I believe counseling is also needed for biological parents as well as the children in regard to foster care. Whether they are placed back into the home or placed in foster home for potential adoption. If you don't help or the old mindset is not healed the cycle doesn't change.
@@sadnlonelywithoutmydaughter911 The Father is our healer yes he is. Sometimes people need talk to someone through the healing. He is King and Lord and Savior yes but having a Community outlet is good as well. I have come from abuse and trauma so I understand.
That’s weird the max was 8 adopted kids in Michigan because I was adopted in Michigan I’m 27 now my parents have adopted 11 children and had 3 of their own biologically…. My mom is fostering still to this day in Michigan. My dad unfortunately passed away at the end of 2021. To be honest I wish there still was a limit to how many kids can be adopted.
Heather you are such a beautiful caring person, and this shines through to your children, it is lovely to see how much they respect & show their love to you in return 🥰
You are such a gracious, selfless and beautiful soul, the true embodiment of what a mother should be. Thank you for taking the time to share your stories with us.
Boy oh boy I so wish we could have a conversation I have big struggles with this! I want to have a relationship with a couple of my kids other family members but for safety and recovery we had to cut ties . But it’s now been almost 3years and I don’t know how to open that door to slowly reintroduce them. 🤔🙁
Foster care has been a living nightmare from the very beginning of my life and still is. It's literally what's ruined my life and looking like what's going to kill me to say the least.... also the 8 kid rule must be new because when I was a kid I was in a home who all had way more One foster family had 12-16 kids and their kids had a ton of foster kids as well....
Wish I had been adopted into this family!!! I was constantly belittled.. not heard… struggling and became their burden and was sent around to different places. They wanted attention constantly introducing us “these are my adopted daughters”, telling people about our trauma etc. This was refreshing to see positivity radiating! So happy to hear they want to foster/adopt… I went on to as well and also became a guardian ad litem. Bravo Bells! Oh Alicia…. Please get out a pen and paper and prepare to take notes!!!
Sorry from your experience but also don't blame other families and compare them to what you went through. The videos we see are only a small view that is edited too. She is working and caring for her family. To tell Alicia to take notes is really rude. The Bells are a different family people need to stop comparing one family to another as it is not the same.
YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY 💯 GOD GIVEN❤ YOU ARE ❤️ 🙏 AN ANGEL 😇 FROM HEAVEN ❤ NOW I'M CRYING❤ I JUST LOVE AND APPRECIATE YOU SO VERY MUCH ❤️ THANK YOU FOR SHARING ❤ YOU ARE A TRUE BLESSING TO US ALL ❤
No offense to you Heather but I'm only 5 &1/2 minutes in and I can't watch no more... I get what your saying and I respect you guys deeply. But my experiences with foster care has been a literal living nightmare and still is... not just that I have to deal with knowing kids are actually being abused and starved and the government won't do crap about it while the parents are on drugs and all I did was haul campers and was told I has to quit my job and then my Daughter was illegally kidnapped because I homeschooled her and took her to work with me and got my milk and eggs from the farm and apparently according to the judge I set her up for educational failure and fed her beyond the natural food eating and lived in an unrealistic structured environment because I didn't have tv or internet or phone or tablets what not. She was 7!! She is literally my life and they have ruined her and me even more since they illegally kidnapped her. I also live in this moron state.. the state of Michigan and dhs amd foster care has ruined many lives and is what killed both my parents and working on me amd I can only hope my Daughter isn't completely ruined.... I just can't continue mu h longer. I did everything g I was told to do even though its illegal and still have gotten nowhere.. everyday I worse then before.... they took her a week before her 8th birthday immediately lied to her kept her away from me and everyone she's ever known and drugged her up immediately, all against the laws and sad to say still to this day I have not gotten her back and I'm just not sure I can continue no more... worst day of my life 9-6-2019. She will be 12 on 9-15-23. I need her back before then.
Sorry as soon as you mentioned social workeers overworked i cant take it. Maybe they are up there in your county but definitely not in southern michigan or manistique county. They are worthless...
1st of all why would you write this ??? It's important that all the kids are safe both girls and boys !! ( what you are talking about could happen to either sex) Mama Bell protects all her babies and I have NO doubt that they are the safest they have ever been.
What?? they are siblings, why would you comment this. They are brothers and sisters they look out for one another. I can't with the comments , I wonder if this is truly adults commenting.
