Author Archives: Alicia McCormick

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than one-fifth of adults in the United States has a mental health disorder or mental illness. Approximately 23% of adults reported having a mental illness. When it comes to parenting, the stress and prevalence of mental illness is even higher. The Surgeon General published an advisoryContinue reading “Mental Health and Fostering”

“Every child deserves a champion — an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the best they can possibly be.” – Rita F. Pierson This week, I had court for the baby I’m currently caring for. I expected a lot of things, butContinue reading “Be the Champion”

It’s an odd concept to most people – fostering babies, and then giving them to their forever family. No longer having any say in their life, and in many cases, no longer having an idea what is going on in their life. I always love it when I get to stay in touch with myContinue reading “When You Don’t See the Fruit of Your Labor”

I wrote my last blog post on community comments that hit me wrong, that I dislike hearing from others when it comes to my fostering journey. So it just makes sense that I would follow that up with my favorite comments (or hoped-for comments) about fostering. “How can I support you?” I know that notContinue reading “Community Comments – Part 2”

I recently read Through Adopted Hearts, a book of memoirs by birth and adoptive parents. One of the questions they were asked were, “What are some of the worst comments you’ve received as a parent?” It made me think of my journey as a foster parent and some of the comments I have heard fromContinue reading “Community Comments”

I get told all the time that I’m so selfless for becoming a foster parent, and while there is some selflessness in signing up to take care of so many babies with so many needs, I get far more out of it than I put into it. I was challenged today by my therapist toContinue reading “Fulfillment in Foster Care”

I tend to have a scarcity mindset – always thinking about if I’ll have enough money, enough time, enough patience, enough of me to go around. And being a foster mom, it always seems like there’s never enough. There’s always more babies who need a home. There’s always more time I could spend with myContinue reading “Abundance in Scarcity”

It’s now been almost three years since I’ve posted anything on this blog. I’ve finished a PhD program (that’s right – I’m Dr. Alicia now), taken in `10 more babies, and started a new job. The little boy I thought I would adopt ending up going with another family, and that’s okay. It was whatContinue reading “Back with a Vengeance”

It has been over two years since I published anything on this blog. In those years, I have started a PhD program (never thought I would be saying those words), welcomed countless more babies into my home and heart, gotten through Covid, and now find myself with a medically complex baby whose case is headingContinue reading “Into the Unknown – Part 2”

If you now have the song sung by a certain snow queen playing in your head, then I apologize. (But not really, since it’s an awesome song to pump you up when you need it.) But that phrase – into the unknown – perfectly describes what this past week has been for me. Monday evening,Continue reading “Into the Unknown”