By BCH Communications
If you had asked Sara Belger and her husband, Jack, when they married in October 2022 whether foster care would become part of their lives, Sara would have quickly told you this was not in their plans.
“We would’ve told you this was never going to be in our cards,” Sara said. “But God has different plans than we have for ourselves.”
She knew foster families personally. She had heard their stories and understood the challenges and uncertainties that came with fostering.
But the thought of fostering would not stay away.
A foster care conversation that started with no
Eventually, Sara decided she needed to tell Jack what had been on her heart. He listened but his answer was “no.” At least for the remainder of that day.
“He completely changed his mind on me,” Sara revealed.
Jack told Sara he had continued thinking about foster care after she went to bed. But instead of dismissing the possibility altogether, he suggested they talk with friends who were foster parents and begin asking questions.
Becoming licensed foster parents through BCH
Those conversations eventually pointed the Belgers toward BCH. Once they began the licensing process, they moved quickly.
“We didn’t want to lose the passion we had for it in that moment,” Sara said.
Through BCH, they became licensed foster parents in May 2025. Just one week later, the call came for their first placement: a newborn still in the hospital. For the next two weeks, Sara and Jack traveled back and forth to the NICU. Today, that little boy is 16 months old and doing well with the Belgers.
Shared parenting and working toward reunification
The Belgers’ journey continued when they welcomed two young siblings, introducing Sara and Jack to shared parenting and the goal of family reunification. Sara communicates regularly with the children’s mother and hopes to see their family restored.
“To see parents doing what they need to do to be able to get their kids back, because that’s what we want,” Sara said. “It’s been cool to see that side of it.”
The Belgers’ foster care journey is grounded in more than a desire to provide children with a safe and stable home. It is grounded in their faith and in the opportunity to introduce children to the love of Jesus.
“It was God-led, God-driven,” Sara said. “We wouldn’t be here without that.”
Sharing the love of Jesus in a foster home
Sara has seen the spiritual impact firsthand. Two children who arrived with little familiarity with church soon began asking when the family would return. Before long, Sara was hearing them sing about the love of Jesus from the back seat.
For Sara, those moments reveal the lasting opportunity foster parents have every time they open their home.
“It makes a difference,” she said, “and I don’t think we realize how quickly it can make a difference in a little kid’s life.”
Support for BCH foster families
The Belgers have also found ongoing support through BCH. Sara says having BCH caseworker Andy Snovak coming alongside them has been vital.
“Everything we ask, he’s got an answer,” she said. “Knowing that you’re known by name and family and story and not by a case number is huge.”
In little more than a year, foster care has taken Sara and Jack places neither imagined when they first said yes. The family that once believed fostering would never be “in the cards” has learned not to assume what God might place before them next.
For the Belgers, saying yes is ultimately about what God might accomplish in the life of a child, however brief or long their time together may be.
“However long they’re in our home, that could be the difference maker down the road for them,” she said.
The need for foster families in North Carolina is tremendous: There are more than 11,000 boys and girls in the system. When believers step into foster care, children experience more than stability; they experience Christlike love in action. Start here to learn more: bchfamily.org/foster-care.
Foster care questions families ask us
What is foster care?
Foster care provides a safe, temporary home for a child who cannot live with their own family right now. In most situations the goal is reunification, which means the child returns home once it is safe. There are more than 11,000 boys and girls in North Carolina’s foster care system.
How do I become a foster parent in North Carolina?
You begin by contacting a licensing agency such as BCH and starting the licensing process, which includes training, paperwork and a home study. Sara and Jack Belger were licensed through BCH in May 2025. Our step-by-step guide to becoming a foster parent in North Carolina walks through what to expect.
What is shared parenting in foster care?
Shared parenting means foster parents work alongside a child’s birth family rather than apart from them. Sara communicates regularly with the mother of the two siblings in their home and hopes to see that family restored.
Will I have support as a foster parent?
Yes. Every BCH foster family works with a caseworker. Sara says having BCH caseworker Andy Snovak alongside them has been vital. “Knowing that you’re known by name and family and story and not by a case number is huge,” she said.
How long does a child stay in a foster home?
It varies, and families rarely know at the start. Some placements last days and others last years. As Sara puts it, “However long they’re in our home, that could be the difference maker down the road for them.”
How do I start fostering with BCH?
Visit our foster care page to learn about becoming a BCH foster family, or become a prayer partner and support foster families in prayer.
