Celebrating foster care and its positive influence
In the past year, Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois (LCFS) supervised the care of nearly 1100 foster children. How do the foster care services they receive make it possible for these children to go beyond what for many of them is a life marred by abuse and/or neglect?
As we celebrate Foster Care Awareness Month in May, the best way to answer that question is to take a look at how the lives of some foster children have changed for the better.
Consider the story of Carrie, whose mother Jessica was 19 when LCFS began working with them. Jessica was a victim of abuse who was in denial as to the effects it was having on her life. But her LCFS caseworker stuck with her and continued working on her case. When Carrie was born, hospital staff noted that Jessica's body was covered with bruises. Out of concern for the safety of Jessica and Carrie, the staff reported her case and Carrie was put into the safety of foster care with relatives. After Carrie's birth, Jessica began to realize that ending her abusive relationship was in the best interest of her and her daughter. As a result of the counseling and support she received, Jessica was able to bring Carrie back into her life and mother and daughter are now living happily together. Foster care helped ensure Carrie's safety and gave Jessica the necessary time to bring her parenting skills to a level that would benefit them both.
Terrell was born prematurely with marijuana and cocaine in his system, meaning he would be dealing with a whole host of serious medical problems in his young life. But even though she loved her son, Terrell's drug-addicted mother was not able to cope, and DCFS took over his care. A short time later, LCFS took over Terrell's case and arranged for him to be put into foster care with some relatives, his godparents, Jim and Cheryl. Terrell's medical concerns (needs assistance with his breathing and needs a wheelchair to get around) meant he was classified as a specialized child.
Though he had health struggles, Terrell flourished under Jim and Cheryl and with assistance from LCFS in obtaining the necessary resources for his care. They also grew as a family and after a few years Jim and Cheryl formally adopted Terrell.
When children are in need of foster care, the plan is to get them into stable, safe homes as soon as possible, with either extended family (typically aunts, uncles, grandparents) or non-related foster parents. Then, if and when possible, following counseling and any other necessary treatment, the goal is to permanently reunite the child with his/her birth parent(s).
Carrie was reunited with her birth parent, but that was not possible in Terrell's case. However, in both instances, LCFS was able to help ensure that both children ended up in permanent loving homes. Without the time that they were able to spend in the safe haven of foster care, it's very likely that the lives of Carrie and Terrell would not have gone in the positive direction that they did.
Their cases also highlight the importance of adults who are willing and able to serve as foster parents and open their homes to children in need. Anyone needing more information on becoming a foster parent should contact LCFS at 800-363-LFCS (5237).
LCFS has been at the forefront of nurturing individuals, children and families since its founding in 1873. LCFS is a non-profit social ministry organization serving more than 35,000 individuals annually with programs such as foster care, adoption, counseling, youth residential treatment and a variety of community services. For more information visit www.lcfs.org or call 800-363-LFCS (5237).