KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Harmony Belden never imagined her family would expand to include six children, but through foster care, she's become a mother to a vibrant household.
Belden, alongside her husband, initially planned to raise two kids of their own. Once they started fostering, however, their hearts continued to grow.
They adopted their daughter Blakely, who started as a foster, and are now fostering two boys.
"We just knew there was a need and we saw that the status quo did not fit the need, and we felt called to stand in the gap," Belden said.
Kansas City-area agency FosterAdopt Connect said there are over 20,000 foster children in Missouri and Kansas combined, with Jackson County alone accounting for over 1,100.
"The word 'mom' is just someone that cares for you selflessly and is just there to meet your needs," Belden said. "You break off little pieces of your heart, and every single one of those kids that we've had along the way has a piece of our heart."
As Mother's Day rolls around, she thanks the moms who gave her these children, acknowledging the birth mothers whose sacrifices made their family possible.
"This might be a less popular way to be a mom through foster care, but it is the same," she said.
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