Mina's Foster Closet Inc.

07/04/2023

Happy Independence Day! Thank you to all who have fought and sacrificed for our country's freedom.

06/18/2023

03/31/2023

It’s been a rough few months behavior wise. Testing, therapy, medication, patience, prayers—whatever we need to help him. But I see the looks we get in public, I hear the chatter from friends about how he needs a spanking or I must not discipline him enough.

It’s hard for people to grasp without experiencing it & there are only a few that I can actually talk to because not many people understand the trauma my kids carry & what it does to their bodies & brains. I get it though because before foster care I wasn’t trauma informed either. I had no clue & even now sometimes I have to remind myself that something inside of him has been altered through the trauma he has experienced.

Most people think since he came to us as a baby he didn’t experience trauma like kids who come into foster care at an older age. I wish that was true, but the reality is that trauma affects even the youngest of kids in foster care; yes, even infants removed at birth.

Just because I didn’t carry him for nine months, doesn’t make him any less my son, but it does mean that his time in utero was considerably different because I didn’t.

Even infants can experience things up like: no prenatal care, lack of nutrition, substance abuse, stressful pregnancy or delivery. That is mounds of trauma before a child even enters this world & that is all on top of being separated from the mom who carried them all those months.

I want you to know that trauma is tricky. It physically reshapes & rewires brains. We won’t always see the scars it leaves behind so it’s often mistaken for something else like just bad behavior or a typical meltdown. I’ve also learned that parenting trauma brained children is hard, the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. It is literally everything against my natural instincts as a parent not to lose it when he starts to escalate, but I know I can’t. He’s not doing this on purpose, he’s not trying to be bad; but something in his body feels off & he can’t explain it. His brain may not remember a time before joining our family, but his body sure does.

So when someone says things like “this is normal, all kids do this”, “he just needs a spanking”, “why can’t you get him under control?”; I cringe inside a little but it also gives me a chance to educate them too.

Next time you feel the need to say something about my parenting. Why don’t you try & ask how you can help or let me know I’m doing a great job keeping my cool when you can see I really just want to scream. Instead of judging me, you have the opportunity to help me help him.

12/25/2022

Thank you Heavenly Father, for the gift of our Savior. Merry Christmas!

12/17/2022

❤️❤️❤️

Just because. That’s why she did it.

Just because she wanted to bring us dinner. Just because she sees how rough things have been around here & she knows I’m burnt out. Just because she loves to cook & she knows I don’t. Just because—no other explanation.

There doesn’t have to be a new placement or a crisis for you to help. Most foster families rarely ask for help anyway, even when we’re drowning; but without a doubt we are so very appreciative of every single “just because”.

12/09/2022

The Bearded Brothers Moving Group is bringing its annual toy drive back to the Valley!

12/04/2022

They want to know, until I start explaining & two hours later, they wish they’d never asked.

12/01/2022

When people tell me they don’t want to be a foster parent because they are scared, I always think of this night. This was one of our little foster children’s first night in our home. She had only met us hours earlier. We were complete strangers & she was scared. While we were introducing ourselves, we promised her that she was safe in our home, just as we have done with all our foster children through the years. When it was time for bed she cried & said that she didn’t want any monsters to get her. We didn’t know her whole story yet, we didn’t know if “monsters” had indeed hurt her at night before. My husband calmed her down, said a goodnight prayer & asked if she needed anything else before bed. She asked him again to promise no monsters would get her if she fell asleep. He promised, & to put her at ease, this is how they slept.

This is a child people are too scared to help?

Foster Care is scary, I would be lying if I said I don’t still get nervous sometimes, but I PROMISE you that it’s worth it! You too can help keep monsters away! You CAN do it. -Rebecca Wagner, Foster & adoptive Mom-

11/24/2022

We are thankful for many things today, especially the community's support of our local foster families. Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

11/21/2022

The community has stepped up every year by blessing the area's foster children with Christmas gifts through Mina's Foster Closet. This year, we will be focusing on gifts for the young adults that have aged out of the foster care system in the Mahoning Valley and are participating in the Bridges Program.

If you are interested in shopping for one of these teens, please reach out by texting or calling us at 330-536-9098.

We are also still supporting local foster children by having new toys/gifts for their foster/kinship families to pick out for them. If you would like to donate new gifts, please reach out and make a donation appointment.

As always, thank you for your support. We are humbled by the love and generosity that the community continues to show.

11/02/2022

November is

I can’t stress enough that not everyone is called to foster or adopt, but EVERYONE can do something. What is your ‘something’?