When Laura and Dan Bennett decided to become a foster family, they never imagined where that simple decision would lead. They had never been exposed to foster care and weren’t looking to adopt. With six children of their own, ages 12 to 25, they weren’t entirely sure what they were getting into. They simply felt like they should help.
โWe werenโt looking to adopt but trying to do what we thought we should do,โ Laura says.
Six years after their decision to choose to be a foster family, the Bennetts have welcomed children into their home, supported parents, celebrated reunification, navigated goodbyes and opened their hearts again. Along the way, they have learned that foster care is about much more than providing a safe place. It is about relationships, trust, and walking alongside familiesโeven when the path doesn’t look the way you imagined.
Because many of the Bennetts’ placements have been short term, they learned early that foster care requires loving a child without knowing how long they will be part of your everyday life. One placement became especially significant. The Bennetts welcomed a baby at just nine weeks old. After about three and a half months, he returned to his parents on a trial home placement, but the Bennetts didn’t simply close the door. They offered to continue helping, and Laura even joked that she was preparing to take on a bit of a โgrandma role.โ
For several months, the Bennetts still cared for him once a week, free of charge, giving his parents additional support while maintaining their connection with him. They weren’t trying to replace his parents, they were trying to help his family succeed. โI truly support reunification and really try to help that happen,โ Laura says. When the child eventually went to stay with a family member, the Bennetts lost contact. For Laura, that was one of the hardest moments of their foster care journey. โI thought returning him back to his parents was going to be the hardest part, but it wasnโt,โ she says. โThe hardest part was when he went to a family member and I didnโt know what was happening.โ The Bennetts learned that sometimes loving a child means accepting that you don’t get to know what happens next.
In April of this year, the little boy returned to the Bennetts’ home and just last week, Laura and Dan adopted him. After the first placement, reunification, months of supporting his parents, losing contact and eventually welcoming him back, their story had come full circle. โI feel like everything has gone how it was supposed to be,โ Laura says. โHow things played out is perfect.โ Today, the Bennetts continue to maintain contact with his parents. For Laura and Dan, love doesn’t have to disappear simply because circumstances change.
With six children already at home, adding foster care could have been complicated. Instead, Laura says it has brought joy to their lives. โI feel like we are just having fun, and it has brought joy and fun into our home. Every person you bring into your family brings something.โ
The Bennetts love hiking, skiing, boating, biking, sports, music and spending time outdoors. Their home is busy, active and full of life, but there has always been room for children in care to become part of it.
The Bennetts didn’t set out to become Foster Family of the Year. They simply set out to help. For Laura and Dan, foster care has never been about having all the answers. It has been about showing up, loving children, supporting families and trusting that even small acts of care can make a lasting difference. Six years later, their willingness to open both their home and their hearts has touched children, parents, family members and their community and that is something worth celebrating.
