Latino youth find welcoming home in Mt. Lebanon
When COVID-19 arrived in Pittsburgh, many businesses and institutions began to close their doors. The Romeros kept theirs open.
In April, Stephanie Romero received a call from Pressley Ridge about a child who needed a foster family. Without hesitation, she and her husband, Guillermo, took in the child. In her mind, there was no other option.
“They need to be in a home,” said Ms. Romero, 51, of Mt. Lebanon.
Providing a home for children in foster care carries an even deeper meaning for the Romeros.
They became certified foster parents in 2018 after Casa San Jose’s executive director, Monica Ruiz, put out the call for bilingual families to help support Latino youth who needed a home in
Pittsburgh. Mr. Romero, 67, who originally is from Peru, and his wife felt a strong need to help support the community.
Since then, the Romeros have fostered a total of seven children and currently have two foster children, who are both Latino.
According to the Romeros, being able to speak fluent Spanish provides an extra layer of comfort and safety for a foster child when they first come to the home.
“Speaking a second language, especially in a new home, is overwhelming. Just doing that extra work can be exhausting after a long day,” Ms. Romero said. “Sometimes its just easier and more comfortable for our foster children to express themselves in Spanish.”
Mr. Romero said his background also provides a deeper connection with his foster children.
“While we all come from different countries, Hispanic culture has strong roots,” said Mr. Romero, who is an associate professor of pharmacology and chemical biology at the University of Pittsburgh. “We all speak exactly the same language. We are Americans, but we are different. We have a strong sense of Hispanic culture.”
Ms. Romero said the foster children often bond with her husband about different dishes from their native countries and compare similarities.
Throughout the pandemic, she’s learned a lot more about parenting. “You have to do your own self care,” Ms. Romero said. She said she has the luxury of having her husband by her side to help, allowing her some extra time to go on a walk by herself or read a book before bed.