Letter to Child

One of the assignments for my foster care class was to write a letter to the child who will someday be placed in my home. Here is what I finally submitted....

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Dear Little One,

You don’t know me yet, and I don’t know you, but I can promise that I already love you. I have been loving you for a long time! When I was washing and folding your clothes at my house, I was imagining you wearing them. When I put together your bed in your bedroom, I was envisioning you sleeping there, dreaming sweet dreams, snuggling with a teddy bear. While I was writing this letter to you, it was snowing, and I was imagining you playing outside, making snowballs, and creating a snowman.

I know that you are probably afraid right now. I am very sorry that you have to leave your family for a little bit. I know that your family loves you, and they are missing you right now. (It’s okay to feel a little sad or mad about that.) Even though your mom or dad can’t take care of you right now the way that you should be cared for, they want you to be safe and happy. So while everyone who loves you works very hard to make sure you have a family and a home where you are safe, loved, and happy, you are going to come and live with me.

My name is Nova, and you can call me whatever feels best to you. You can call me Miss Nova, or Mommy Nova, or you can call me what my cute little nephews call me in California: “Auntie Nova.” I will be the one who takes care of you. I am a teacher at an elementary school. I teach 4th grade now. I am not married, but I hope that someday I will be! I moved to Kentucky from California in Aug. 2010. Like you, I don’t live with my mom and dad at the moment, and I do miss them, but I also have my Kentucky family and friends that sort of adopted me once I moved here.

A family is an interesting thing. Some people think that a family is a mom, dad, and kids, and while that is one kind of family, it’s definitely not the only kind of family. A family is a group (small or large) of people who love each other and care for one another. So you and I are going to be a family. You will of course keep your other family, but now your family will be bigger because you have even more people to love you.

I want to promise you some things. I am not a perfect person, but I am a trustworthy person. Other children who know me will tell you that I am a good person. So here are my promises to you.

1. I promise to do everything I can to keep you safe. I might need to make some rules that you don’t like, but only because sometimes we need rules to keep us and others safe.

2. I promise I will never try to hurt you. I am on your side. You will not need to be afraid.

3. I promise that I will never stop loving you. There is nothing you can do that will make me stop loving you… and even when you leave my home for your permanent family, I will still always love you and think about you.

Waiting for you….
Love, Nova