Every May, Foster Parent Appreciation Month gives us the chance to recognize the extraordinary individuals who open their hearts and homes to children in need. For these parents, fostering is a remarkable journey filled with incredible highs and challenging lows. It demands compassion, resilience, and a commitment to the child you take into your home. It’s a journey Tonya and Angela began in 2020.
“I think one of the biggest things that we have learned along the way is the ultimate goal of foster care is reunification, if possible,” says Angela.
It’s true – for most children, foster care is a temporary, safe haven. While many think saying goodbye to a foster child would only feel like a loss, Angela and Tonya agree their favorite foster care moment was the reunification of their first foster child with his biological parent.
“It was an incredible feeling to see how happy and relieved they were and how the two of them being together and supported just felt right. It was like we were helping put a piece back together again,” says Angela.
For foster parents like Tonya and Angela, how long a child will stay is an unknown. Whether it’s for six days or six years, they provide a stable, loving environment for the child to thrive. Tonya and Angela emphasized how maintaining positive relationships with the child’s biological family is essential to the growth of both the foster child and the biological family.
“You do everything you can to play your part to try to build up every person up that’s connected to that child to be a support system for him or her or them,” says Angela.
These parents take on the responsibility of being advocates for both the foster child and the biological family’. The relationships they form with the caseworkers and biological family matter. These interactions promote positive change and inspire others to do what is best for the child.
To this day, Tonya and Angela still visit their first foster child, who was reunified with his family. Seeing him happy with his family and knowing they are part of his journey is something they do not take for granted.
Thank you to the foster parents like Tonya and Angela, whose selflessness, compassion, and support impact the lives of vulnerable children. This month and every month, we are thankful for everything you do to uplift the children and families in our community.
If you are interested in becoming a foster parent, learn more here and reach out to a member of our team today.
There are more than 20,000 children in need of homes, but only 8,000 licensed foster parents. You can be the difference for a child in need.