You Have What it Takes
When Audrey and her husband, Drew first talked about fostering, she was hesitant. “I didn’t want to deal with that,” she said. “That seems really hard and too complicated.” But God had planted something in both of their hearts years earlier—a deep compassion for children in hard places.
After their son was born, Audrey saw a sign-up for TIPS classes and felt a tug she couldn’t ignore. “I thought ‘ we have been talking about this for too long. We are just doing it. We are going to sign up, we’re going to make it happen,’” she said. “By class two or three, we just knew. The Lord was saying, ‘This is where you need to be.’”
Since 2020, the Thompsons have welcomed five full-time foster placements into their home—including a sibling set of three under age three—and provided respite care for several others. Their journey has been beautiful, messy, and full of growth.
One of their first placements, two sisters, came to them as infants. The girls had been exposed to drugs and faced a host of developmental challenges. “There were lots of behavioral issues, therapies, trauma-informed parenting—it was tough,” Audrey shared. But, the difficulties in fostering paves the way for really big ‘wins.’ “It was just really cool to be a part of that, to be a part of seeing them grow, but then also to be a part of like their dad's restoration of his whole life.”
That transformation—watching a biological parent fight to rebuild—reshaped Audrey’s view of foster care. Early on, she struggled with assumptions about biological families. She shares, “I was weary, didn’t know how to interact with them.” But over time, she began to see the fuller picture—real people facing real challenges who need support, encouragement, and hope. Watching a dedicated parent work hard to rebuild their life for the benefit of their children filled her with compassion, “but the more that I’ve interacted with them, the more I’ve just seen how they’re real people… the Lord really changed my heart. It’s made me want to get to know them… to know their stories and pray for them.”
Audrey and her husband formed a partnership with the girls’ father, encouraging him and preparing the children for reunification. “We told them how hard he had worked and how much he loved them. We were trying to help him to connect with them.”
The girls returned home after three years in foster care. It was painful and beautiful all at once. Audrey grieved the goodbye, but she also rejoiced. “Foster care is full of losses. And just thinking about these kids… if they can be reunified and you can partner with their parents, they're not losing anything. They still have you and they still have their biological parents. It's only gaining for them…it can be both [foster parents and bio parents present], it doesn’t have to be either/or.”
Just one week after the girls left, the Thompsons got another call. Three more little ones needed a home. “We considered saying no and taking a break,” Audrey said. “But I’m so glad we said yes. It reminded us: this is what the Lord has called us to do.”
Fostering has changed every member of the Thompson family—including their biological son. “One of the reasons why we chose to foster was that we wanted our son to know that he is not put on this earth for himself, we are put here to serve others. And we wanted everything that we have to be used to the glory of God,” Audrey said. “It's been such a positive thing for him in learning to be selfless, learning to deal with kids that have difficult behaviors…have compassion for people who come from hard places.”
Audrey knows there’s fear in stepping into foster care. But if you’re considering it, she has one message: “You already have enough. You already are in the right season. You are right where you need to be to do this… There’s a huge need, and you’re already more prepared than you think you are.”
The Thompsons are one of many ABCH families saying “yes” to love, sacrifice, and second chances. Maybe their story is the nudge your heart needs.
Is God calling you to open your home to a child in foster care?
Learn more about becoming a foster parent here.