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| Kristin Webb works mainly with families fostering young children and infants. |
Contributor Kristin Webb is the program supervisor for the United Methodist Children’s Home West Florida Foster Care program based in Milton, Florida.
I recently worked with a family who desperately want to adopt. They are unable to afford an international or private adoption and have turned to fostering in hopes of finding a young child to eventually adopt.
I highly encourage foster parent adoption for foster children whom the state has released for adoption. This tends to be very successful. However, it is important to keep in mind that the most common goal for children in foster care is for them to be reunited with their birth parents.
So while you are creating a bond with your foster child and making him or her a part of your family, as foster parents you have to be able to work with your local child welfare agency and other professionals in support of reunification with the birth family whenever possible.
Whether or not you are trying to adopt, here are a few points to consider when pondering the question, “Should I become a foster parent?”
- Will you be able to comply with the local and State licensing requirements? We can help. There is some information on our website with contact numbers for our offices near you. Go to www.umch.net/fostercare to learn more. Or you can call your local foster care agency. In Alabama, your county’s Department of Human Resources can help. In Northwest Florida, contact the FamiliesFirst Network in your county.
- What are your motives for becoming a foster parent? Do you want to share your home, time, and attention to children in need? Are you choosing to foster only to fulfill a need in your own life? Expecting a foster child to fulfill a need in your life will most likely result in dissatisfaction for both the foster parent and child.
- What are your expectations of foster children? Do you expect foster children to be grateful for “rescuing” them from their past home environment? Rarely are foster children grateful to be removed from their parents. They are not excited about being placed into foster care.
- Can you let go? Foster Care is only intended to be a temporary arrangement. Most children move on to return to their parents or other relatives. Will you be able to attach to a child and later help them move on?
- Do you have a strong support system? Do you have friends, neighbors, co-workers, family members, or a church family you can turn to for support? Fostering children who have been abused or neglected can be emotionally draining. Children have varying emotions in response to their situations. They are often angry and resentful. As a foster parent, you will often be the recipient of the brunt of their anger.
Kathy Harrison, a foster parent in Massachusetts, has written two books based on her family’s fostering experience: One Small Boat: The Story of a Little Girl, Lost then Found and Another Place at the Table. Below are some other websites for more information on deciding to become a foster parent.
http://adoption.about.com/cs/fostercare/a/Should_I_Foster.htm
http://humanservices.mesacounty.us/index.cfm?id=406
http://www.princetonol.com/family/parenting101/foster1.html
Kristin Webb
Program Supervisor
West Florida Foster Care
Posted by: Jill @ 3:47 pm
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| Man with a Mission - Rev. Rock Stone, Southwest District (North Alabama Conference) Missions Coordinator and one of the United Methodist Children’s Home volunteers of the year for 2006, speaks at the dedication service for the Milton C. Booth Home in Cottondale, Alabama. Rev. Stone organized hundreds of volunteers from the district to raise money and build this transitional living home for young men. |
As a means of honoring all of its volunteers, the United Methodist Children’s Home has announced the special people and organizations being recognized through its 2006 Heart of the Volunteer program.
“We’re grateful for all of our many volunteers who love the children in our programs,” said Jill West, the agency’s Director of Development. “They all deserve to be recognized, and this is just our small way of saying thank you.”
Those being honored for volunteer work in 2006 are listed below.
Building Hope - Rev. Rock Stone and the Southwest District of the United Methodist Church, North Alabama Conference
Rev. Stone was one of the key organizers of this district’s huge effort to build a new transitional living home in Cottondale near Tuscaloosa. The Milton C. Booth Home will house young men entering college or starting their careers.
In addition to his duties leading two churches and being the Missions Coordinator for the district, he corralled hundreds of volunteers from dozens of churches, talked with local businesses and swung a hammer with the best of them. In addition to sweat equity, churches in the district donated over $72,000 for the home.
Read more about our Tuscaloosa programs by clicking here.
The Gift of Giving - Kasey Fleming and the members of First United Methodist Church, Jackson, Alabama
This group does a huge back-to-school drive for book bags and supplies for those living at the Children’s Village, the ministry’s main campus in Selma. The church members also make Easter baskets with goodies and personal care items.
Judy Manning oversees the Village. “The Easter baskets are always gorgeous,” she said. “There’s enough in the bookbags to last each kid for at least the first semester.”
She said that there are even leftovers to help supply any kids who may come to the Children’s Home during the school year.
Selfless Supporter - Maurine Johnston, Dothan, Alabama
Mrs. Johnston supports the boys at The Settlement, the agency’s group home near Dothan. She decorated the home for Christmas and provided most of the new decorations.
“Mrs. Johnston is a generous and compassionate, selfless supporter of our program,” said Craig Boesch, who supervises the program at The Settlement.
She has donated clothing, Christmas gifts and musical instruments. She helped with decorating ideas and materials and made a substantial donation to refurbish the group home’s basketball facilities. Mrs. Johnston serves on the advisory board for The Settlement.
A Faithful Community - First UMC, Jasper, Alabama
These church members continuously support the the children of the Northwest Therapeutic Foster Care program.
“They provided a case of Bibles so each child entering our program could have the most important thing–God’s word,” said Janice Hawkins, the program’s supervisor. “We are very appreciative of FUMC.”
Each year at Christmastime, members provide gifts and a party for the staff, the foster families, the children and the children’s birth families, as well. The church loans their facility for Children’s Home trainings for staff and foster families, and donated proceeds from a churchwide yard sale.
Helping around the House - David Mulkey and the Tennessee Valley Authority at Widows Creek
Mr. Mulkey organized a group of skilled volunteers to help out at the Scottsboro Group Home. They installed a video camera security system in the home, wired and replaced an outside lamppost and light, and even cleaned the gutters.
Melissa Bynum supervises the group home. “They did a great job which contributed to the safety of our children and staff,” said Bynum. “This work would have been very expensive if we had to hire contractors.”
Feeding the Family - Mr. and Mrs. Jim Grigg, operators of the Blue Willow Restaurant
On Sundays, the Griggs bring food from their restaurant to the Scottsboro Group Home. Melissa Bynum, the program’s supervisor, said that it is usually enough to feed the residents and staff for at least two meals. Known as one of the best in town, the Blue Willow is a busy restaurant. Children’s Home staff say that they appreciate how the Griggs think of their children and take the time to do this every week.
Expanding Borders - Park Memorial United Methodist Church, Troy, Alabama
As part of their 40 Days of Community, members of Park Memorial United
Methodist Church built additions to a foster family’s home. The family cares for a sibling group of five children for the Southeast Therapeutic Foster Care program of the Children’s
Home. Click here to read more.