'Don't Let Fear Hold You Back'
Anna, 3; mom Laura; Rebekah, 6; Luke, 6; and Jacob, 9
Laura Mitchell is a 35-year-old mother of four children -- ages 9, 6, 6 and 3 -- all adopted in the last two years.
She didn’t plan it that way, they just arrived among the 33 other children to whom she has been a foster mother. Those 33 children also included two teen mothers and their babies, one of whom has gotten married and had another son. Mitchell was invited to be at the hospital when the baby was born and the children call her “Nana.”
She laughs hard at the thought of being a 35-year-old “Nana” -- it’s a nod to the unexpected and joyful ride Mitchell has been on since she became a Tennessee foster parent nearly five years ago.
The Kids Say Yes
Her 9-year-old Jacob, adopted in 2013, remembers his life before adoption, and so before a new child comes into the home for foster care, Mitchell asks Jacob and his sister Rebekah, if it is OK.
He always answers with “Mom, if they need a home, we need to give them a home.”
“It has been a huge blessing to watch how they have welcomed new brothers and sisters, whether for a few days or a few months,’’ Mitchell said.
Luke, 6, and Anna, 3, who were adopted Nov. 19, 2015, were only supposed to be at the Mitchell home for a short respite, but Mitchell felt a pull.
“There was just something about them. I just knew that was my family. I didn’t know I would adopt them, but I knew I needed to have them in my home,’’ she said.
The Path to Foster Care
Mitchell had planned for an international adoption when she read about becoming a Tennessee foster parent.
“There are kids right here in my hometown and beds in my home nobody sleeps in and room at my table,’’ she said. “I remember I thought I would get too attached and I do grieve the children who go back home, but I don’t regret loving them, or the memories I have with them. It is not about me. These kids need a home and need someone who will provide safety for them and love them unconditionally.”
Mitchell says she has a dedicated family, church family and friends who have been invaluable in her commitment to be a foster parent.
“While many don’t feel they can open up their home to foster care, they are the ones running to Wal-Mart for me to get diapers or clothes or a meal. That support system is what has allowed me to continue to do this.”
Through Mitchell's example, friends and family have become foster and adoptive parents, including her brother and sister-in-law, who will start training classes soon.
“We’ve become our own little support system,’’ Mitchell says.
A Word of Advice
So, what does she say to anyone who asks about being a foster parent and adopting children?
“Just do it. Don’t let fear hold you back. There are hard days, and goodness knows we have had plenty, but in the end, there is such beauty.”
“The blessing I get is so much bigger, and what they have taught me -- oh, when I look back and think what I would have missed out on if I had said no.”
Learn More
To learn more about becoming a Tennessee foster parent, please visit the foster care and adoption section of the website. There also is an online inquiry form.