Adoption, foster care, Children's WI, respite foster family
At Every Turn > Foster Care > Consider being a respite foster parent
Patient Stories Nov 05, 2013

Consider being a respite foster parent

Jean Northway, Licensed foster parent

Lori and I aren’t on the respite and emergency care list. However, we have gotten three phone calls in the past six weeks because of emergency situations. A few weeks ago we received a call asking if we could take care of a 4-year-old girl for the week. Lori and I talked for a bit and asked our sweet 6-year-old. She didn’t bat an eye before saying, “yes.” We talked to her about having a roommate (or a second roommate, as she said, because the ladybug that has taken up residence in her room is her first roommate) and playing dress-up with dolls. We also talked about how it would be hard sharing toys and less attention from mommy and mama.

Scoot came to us on a Friday night. Before she arrived, our 6-year-old remembered how scary it was to go to a new house and said, “When my bed was ready for me, I felt more welcome. She can have the cow blanket.” Then I nearly started crying when she put her beloved Cinderella doll on the new girl’s pillow.

The 4-year-old was removed from a very violent home about two months ago. She lived with a foster family and the foster mom went on a vacation and couldn’t bring the foster child. The home she was in during this time was unsafe, thus having to be moved and brought to our home. I can hardly keep track so imagine how much her head was spinning.

The few adults I have talked to about the 4-year-old are curious about specifics. “Wait, why was there no notice? Couldn’t they plan ahead for their vacation?” But our 6-year-old didn’t ask too many questions. I have lived 28 more years on this planet, but she has lived in different worlds and has an understanding that I never will.

We will make our home a safe place for this 4-year-old. If you want to help and don’t feel that long-term foster care is for you, please consider providing a short-term, safe space for kids. Become a respite foster parent.

At any given time, as many as 7,000 children are in foster care in Wisconsin. As the largest provider of foster care programming in the state, Children’s Wisconsin offers high levels of support to foster and adoptive families.  View more articles from Jean Northway

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