Overwhelmed and Overjoyed! (Neva’s story part 2)

Moms Matter™ is our program that supports moms whose children have been removed from home. Nationally, over 50% of children in foster care reunify with their parents. Reunification is always the first option, if possible, because no matter who you are, you always want your Mom.

Neva has reunited with her children and shares her thoughts below.
(If you missed the first part of Neva’s story, read it here.)

“My children have officially been home since June 28th. There have been lots of tears, talking, adjusting and cuddles.

They are still in a routine for school, so on my days off I have to set an alarm to greet them at 6:30 am with options for breakfast. They absolutely love to help me with cooking, laundry and light cleaning.

Honestly, the emotions are strong! In the beginning I was scared they would be upset, coming from foster families that had both parents in the home and other kids. I felt they would not like coming back to me and having to share my attention. I was wrong. They are constantly around me, as if they are afraid they are going to miss something. They do ask about their former foster parents and inquire if we are friends or things like that.

My children are being very open and honest with me, as if we didn’t lose 10 months of time! They know what happened to make them leave and keep me on my toes.

I called out of work once, just so I could watch endless Disney movies and eat popcorn with them after spending the day at the park.

Reunification is NOT easy and I am not going to claim it is. My friends from Moms Matter are super supportive and reliable. I still attend Moms Matter, so I can unload what happened in the week and gain future encouragement from my peers.

If I could describe how I feel having my kids home again, I would say overwhelmed and overjoyed! ”

~ Neva