What is foster care?

What a strange question for a child adopted from foster care to ask me.  I sat speechless across from Madison as we ate lunch together at McDonald's.  I was explaining to her the Hair-A-Thon I was coordinating for children in foster care when she sprung this question on me.  How could she not know what foster care is when it is such a big part of our life?  And then I realized it was the term she didn't know and not the concept.  The conversation went something like this:

"You know how our family sometimes takes care of babies whose parents are sick until that Mom or Dad can get better?"

"Yes."

"Well, that is foster care.  When one family takes care of the children of another family until the parents of the children get better."

"Do the parents always get better?"

"Not always.  You remember how we explained that McKenzie's birth mom and dad were very sick and weren't getting better?  And we were asked if we would like to be McKenzie's forever family since her birth parents were in such bad shape?  Well, that is called adoption from foster care."

"I know what adoption is, Mommy!"

"Yes, I know you know what adoption is but now you know what foster care is too.  You know how good you and your sisters feel when you have your hair washed and combed?  You know how pretty you feel?  Not every kid in foster care lives in a home where the Mom knows how to wash and comb their hair."

"Really?"

"Yes, really.  So those kids don't get to feel pretty like you and your sisters do.  Mommy is arranging for a bunch of those kids in foster care to get their hair fixed at the beauty shop and feel beautiful!  They'll get their hair washed and conditioned and the stylist can show their foster moms how to comb their hair like I comb yours.  I wonder if there is anything else we could do for those little girls to make them feel pretty while they get their hair done."

"We could paint their finger nails."

And with that, Madison learned how to give.  At her suggestion, I texted a handful of friends asking each one to spend an hour at the salon on the day of the Hair-A-Thon to paint little finger nails.  I even had one mom offer to donate all the polish, remover, emery boards, and cotton balls.  Maddie went on to ask if she could paint finger nails too.  I promised to let her practice on me this summer in order to be ready for the back-to-school Hair-A-Thon in August.  I am beyond proud of her.  And I pray she can humbly and lovingly participate without turning into the diva like Hannah Montana, who she often likes to mimic.