Family provide emergency care
A PHOENIX family, concerned about the increasing numbers of abused, neglected and abandoned children, have opened their hearts and home to the most vulnerable, 24-7.
“I became overwhelmed and angry when I read articles about abandoned and abused babies, and really wanted to do something,” said the 48-year-old mother of two.
“About four years ago, I contacted the Phoenix Child Welfare and my family and I were screened, so that we could provide foster care for children in emergencies.”
She explained that children were placed in their care until the matter went to court and they were (hopefully) placed in foster homes.
The woman, a stay-athome mother, her self-employed husband and daughters, aged 14 and 16, have thus far provided crisis foster care to 20 children of various ages.
The number of children that are left in their care varies, sometimes it’s just one but it can go up to four. In most cases, these children have been physically, sexually and emotionally abused or have been neglected because their parents are drug addicts.
“Many of them have had to fend for themselves.”
Some of the youngsters, she added, suffered with behavioural problems, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
“Each case is different, and so is each child. A 7-year-old whom I had cared for could not use the toilet properly, while another child was not taught to bath daily.
“Others did not know the importance of sharing meals together as families. While these may sound simple, these children were not exposed to good habits. We had to go back to basics with them and teach them to live within a family unit.”
Life for the little ones, she said, was by no means easy.
“But with love, compassion and patience I try to make it work. This is also a way for me to say thank you to God for blessing me with two children, because for seven years I had complications falling pregnant.”
The difficulty in becoming a crisis foster parent, added the woman, was saying goodbye to the children they bonded with.
“It is heartbreaking. You get used to the child being part of your family and when they leave, it’s difficult to deal with.”
She encouraged other families to open their homes to these children.
“It is an opportunity for you to provide a safe environment for a child and we can help them develop by showing them what a stable home looks like. Families should not do it solely for the grant because money is not important.”