A Difficult Post: Reflecting on the Fostering Journey

This is a really difficult post.

Of the 70,000 tweets I’ve shared over the last two years this will easily be the most difficult.

*This happened one year ago today.

Time heals some things, but there will always be a scar.

I pray we all grow better through our experience.

— Tyler Todt (@tyromper) March 20, 2023

I appreciate all the support, encouragement, & prayers we have received the last few years of our fostering journey.

It’s been a lot of ups & downs, but we are so blessed for it.

A few years ago my wife asked me if I would be willing to be a foster dad.

I instantly said NO :)

— Tyler Todt (@tyromper) March 20, 2023

Then, a few days later I felt a tug on my heart & decided to explore it.

We found in Nevada alone there’s 600 kids that lived in orphanages & needed a place to live & families to love them.

I felt God tugging harder & said yes.

We took in many children over the last few years.

— Tyler Todt (@tyromper) March 20, 2023

We took kids of all races, both genders & basically whenever we were contacted we said yes without hesitation.

We felt called to help.

“To whom much is given, much is expected.”

For 5 months we had three one year olds.

It was wild!

In all we fostered 8 babies. pic.twitter.com/enucFgFyY9

— Tyler Todt (@tyromper) March 20, 2023

We reunited 5 children back to good homes & were eager to keep helping some of the families financially, with getting better jobs, with new clothes, stroller & toys for the kids even after sending them home.

We felt grateful to get to help & love on these kids in a time of need.

— Tyler Todt (@tyromper) March 20, 2023

The biggest blessing ever came when no family stepped up for Kingston or Tyson & last year we adopted both of them!

It was truly one of the happiest days of our life.

We have had both boys since a couple months old & now 2 years later they are thriving! pic.twitter.com/dbN8A6Wut8

— Tyler Todt (@tyromper) March 20, 2023

My wife & I had been through a lot emotionally, mentally & physically during this time.

You can’t imagine raising a child 7-8 months & then sending them back to what you know is an unsafe environment.

My wife bore the brunt of this.

So 16 months ago we closed our license.

— Tyler Todt (@tyromper) March 20, 2023

That very night we got a call saying the 1st girl we ever fostered was back in care.

We wanted to be done so bad.
We felt like we had given so much.

A lot of sleepless nights.
A lot of babies through our home.

But we said yes one more time & reopened our license.

— Tyler Todt (@tyromper) March 20, 2023

We loved her & watched our other boys love her as well as our 6 year old daughter.

We were told it was unlikely she would be reunited as the charges against her caretaker were severe.

We prepared to adopt her as we had our other boys.

Then, out of the blue a call. pic.twitter.com/DTqTaTgt5S

— Tyler Todt (@tyromper) March 20, 2023

There’s a distant aunt that wants her now.

We’ll scoop her up tomorrow.

It’s hard.
We cried.

We’re grateful for our time with her & thank God we got to keep her safe.

But the cost is too high.

We watched our then 6 year old cry as she left.

I hugged my wife as she cried.

— Tyler Todt (@tyromper) March 20, 2023

We officially closed this chapter of our lives after.

We revoked our license & decided to look for other ways to volunteer & help.

It’s been an incredible journey & our now family of 5 is complete.

No more uncertain cases.
No more sleepless nights.
No more bio parents yelling. pic.twitter.com/AjmlIWIlUW

— Tyler Todt (@tyromper) March 20, 2023

One of my first tweets was about us starting to foster.

An outpouring of kind, loving people in this community supported us & encouraged us.

We’re forever grateful.

In a perfect world there wouldn’t be a need for foster parents.

All parents would love their kids & provide.

— Tyler Todt (@tyromper) March 20, 2023

But we live in a broken world.

Many children do need help.

They need a safe place to go.

They need love, encouragement & support.

I am honored we got to be that safe place for many kids.

I am grateful for the opportunity to help even at a steep cost. 💔

— Tyler Todt (@tyromper) March 20, 2023

I have been asked often if fostering is worth it or hard?

The answer to both is yes.

We lost family over our decision.
We lost peace of mind.
We lost a lot of sleep.

But we gained two awesome SONS forever.

We helped a lot of families.
We kept kids safe & in a healthy place.

— Tyler Todt (@tyromper) March 20, 2023

I’ll end with a couple takeaways I learned through being a foster dad.

1) Be kind & empathetic to everyone.

You never know how others grew up or what awful environments they endured.

I had 2 parents that loved me.

I thought most kids had at least 1.

Sad truth is a lot don’t.

— Tyler Todt (@tyromper) March 20, 2023

Your smile, kind words or encouragement may be the first they have ever gotten.

I urge you please start seeing people as people.

Not Democrat or Republican.
Not white, brown or black.
Not whatever other boxes we all put one another in.

Treat others with kindness always.

— Tyler Todt (@tyromper) March 20, 2023

2) If you can help, help.

Be the change.

Too many nowadays virtue signal or complain the worlds getting worse.

Then do something about it!

Volunteer, foster, donate, serve, random acts of kindness, encourage, bless up.

We all can change the world together 1 act at a time.

— Tyler Todt (@tyromper) March 20, 2023

Thanks for reading.

I truly hope you have the best day ever.

Volunteer.
Hug your kids.
Call a loved one.
Hold doors & smile.
Give a stranger a compliment.
Be an encourager & speak life.

Let’s all stop with the petty difference & love one another.

We’re all better together. ❤️

— Tyler Todt (@tyromper) March 20, 2023