Dear Mr. Rawles:
Thank you for your dedication to the survivalist movement. As a Ten Cent Challenge subscriber, I appreciate being able to read many of the posts and comments on your web site. I am hoping to pose a question to you and your readers about becoming foster parents as survivalists.
First, I little about us:We live in a small suburban community in Ohio. Because of several issues, we have decided to retreat in place. With a little land, we have created a suburban homestead with a large garden and a small chicken flock. We have also begun laying up food staples and have a good source for water and the ability to filter it. We will soon be converting the house to heat with a wood burner. Also, we have an ever growing supply of firearms (handguns and long guns) for hunting and self defense. We are also blessed to be able to home school our two grade school children and are trying to instill our Christian beliefs in their lives. My wife and I have always considered expanding our family by adopting or being foster parents. In light of the potential for hard times around the corner, we feel that this may truly be a way to reach out to a child and offer support where there may not be other options.
That being said, keeping OPSEC in mind, I am concerned about inviting the social services network into our home for the inspections to which we would be subjected. Primary issues are: Firearms (in a locked safe), food storage, and home schooling. Whether we are or are not approved as a foster home, I feel as though we would be “on record” – which of course concerns me. While some of the items could be concealed or temporarily moved, I am sure that what we are doing would be noticed and documented.
I am sure that you have a least a few readers who have adopted or are currently foster parents, maybe some in Ohio, who could give us some advice in relation to these questions. Thanks – Robert in Ohio
JWR Replies: By God’s grace, I’ve never had any run-ins with snooping officials. Part of this may simply be because I live in such a remote area, and I lead a very quiet life, locally. Because of this, I don’t feel qualified to comment on that topic. Perhaps some readers can e-mail me to comment on their experiences, and I’ll post their comments, anonymously.