The year was bout 95 to 96 to the best of my recollection . My wife and I were foster parents , we intended to foster and in the end adopt . So much happened during this time fostering that due to my failing memory I will not try to recount . We stayed busy with foster kids , my wife being an RN we dealt with many special needs kids with medical problems .
I figured out a program to get foster kids in church . If their parents had ever belonged to a church CPS (Child protective services) encouraged their parents by saying they would be 'considered' more responsible if they agreed to let the kids go to church when came time to try and get them back . Many just didn't care and agreed . We had a foster parent association in my county , I knew the lady that had run it for years and she said she would help me anyway she could . The paperwork was massive to accomplish this , my wife (Becky's mom) did most of it .
CPS had to sign off on every kid , a foster parent had to accompany each child while in church , the churches had to sign off they would be responsible......to relieve CPS of liability . In the process I was responsible to everyone ! Should anything happen I would be the scapegoat ...it was my idea , I was in charge .
First problem was transportation , had to get the churches to let us have vans . According to CPS each driver had to have a CDL , I had one but not many foster parents did not. I had to beg , cheat to get drivers . Next was vans , had to talk hard (I don't remember exactly but may have misrepresented a bit ) , some churches didn't want their vans taking kids anywhere but their church . I'm not singling out Catholics but there was one old priest , he was bout 70 years old . actually I knew him . He shot me down quick , didn't want to talk about it , would not have one of their vans drop kids anywhere but his church . I told him I would drive their van 'I' would supervise them in his church (as I said he knew me) . Told him I had 4 Catholic kids and if he didn't want em to come to services I'd take em to my Baptist church . LOL , he ranted a while and said if I would bring them he would do it ! I remember back and it's funny now . Had the same thing happen with my own pastor when asked , belonged to a Baptist mega church back then .
The program continued for 4 years , I was nearly driven crazy with red tape , parents , foster parents , CPS , the churches just to get some children into church . The world is a strange place , the moral of the story is ...why would this be so hard ? Why can't we just want our kids to know GOD ? I guess I'm just too simple because I have never figured it out .