When Simone and Richard went through the Angels Foster Family Network training and certification process, they had a lot of concerns. They knew babies in the foster care system had experienced trauma and hoped they would be able to meet the needs of their placements. They liked that Angels focused on infants and toddlers because they had already been through the early years with their own daughter Savannah, now 7 years old. And they supported Angels’ mission of fostering infants and toddlers through the duration of their stay in foster care. Still, the prospect was intimidating.
“We were really challenged during training. We had lots of discussions about whether we could handle fostering and if we’d be good enough,” says Simone. The couple also wondered how Savannah would be affected and how they would manage their time. “Someone reminded us that if you are worried that you aren’t good enough, you’re already doing great.”
Additionally, Simone and Richard say that some people didn’t understand why they wanted to foster because they had only heard negative things about foster care. “The media puts it out there that the children are all broken,” Richard explains. “That they’re all drug babies, but the truth is that these children have just had a rough start in life.” But Simone and Richard have always liked helping and they knew there was a need for loving stable homes, so they took the leap.
When their first placement, “Little Sir,” a toddler with Down syndrome who has been with the family for nearly a year, came to stay with Simone and Richard, they found they were very well prepared for fostering. “When we first met with the county social worker, she was shocked,” Richard recalls. “She said, ‘You guys already know what you’re doing. How do you know all this?’” The answer: Angels Foster Family Network has a rigorous education and training program that helps families succeed as foster parents. With the support of Angels, Simone and Richard had already baby-proofed their home – and they had plenty of baby supplies. “We love the support we get from Angels. The day after we brought Little Sir home, Angels gave us a baby shower’s worth of diapers, clothing and toys,” Richard says.
The resource parents quickly learned how to navigate the medical system to get Little Sir the services he needed. There was physical therapy, occupational therapy, a cardiologist, a neurologist, and a gastroenterologist, among others. “Pick an ologist and we’ve seen them,” Richard says. Simone adds, “Once we got through the bulk of initial referrals, we found a rhythm.”
Their routine isn’t just doctor appointments. There’s plenty of fun too. “We all enjoy music and have dance parties,” Simone says. They enjoy children’s music and anything that they can dance to. “Anything he can shake his booty to,” Richard adds with a laugh. He says that fostering Little Sir has given the family great joy and a new outlook on life. “This dude is a trooper,” Richard says. “He’s going through a lot of stuff and he’s the happiest kid. It’s really a reminder to appreciate all you’ve got.”
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