The Baxley Family
Eight Kids, Three dogs, and Going Strong!
Shane and Lorie Baxley Found Their Christian Mission as Foster Parents
It’s a Saturday morning and Shane and Lorie Baxley are getting their family ready for a day at the beach. Their house, which sits on a quiet street in Bradenton, is home to eight kids and three dogs. Their home is busy, but it’s also a place of love and acceptance.
Out of their eight kids (which range in age from two to sixteen), two are biological, one is adopted, and five are foster children. Out of their five foster children, one is a toddler, three are siblings, and one has autism.
The Baxley’s received their foster care license in 2009 and were originally licensed for just two foster children, but their capabilities and the desires of their heart soon went beyond that.
“It’s a mission for us. It’s hectic at times. I drive to four different schools every morning, but it’s also peaceful clearly knowing that this is what God has called us to do,” Lorie said.
Early on Lorie had a very strong conviction about being a foster parent. However, Shane is the first to admit that he did not initially feel called to this role.
“Over time God worked on my heart, but during that time He also prepared both of us to be foster parents,” Shane said.
“Several years ago we had a relative that needed our help, and we cared for their child for a couple of years. That experience gave us the preparation we needed before jumping into foster parenting,” Shane said.
Shane said that being a foster parent was finally confirmed in his heart while on a mission trip to Africa in 2007 with their church, West Bradenton Baptist.
“During that mission trip we worked with many kids who lacked family support. It was then that God clearly spoke to my heart about becoming a foster parent.”
“As a foster parent, it has been incredibly rewarding to watch my two biological children open their hearts to other kids. It has also been very gratifying to see many of our foster kids come to know Christ,” Shane said.
Lorie Baxley says that it is God that gives them the ability to care for their large and diverse family. “Whether you have one child our eight, you have to walk with God or you won’t be able to do it. We are only able to do it by the grace and strength that God gives us each and every day.”