Foster Care, Foster Love
Tracy laughs these days when she recalls her very first placement as a Children’s Friend foster parent.
“They called me at work and asked if I could take a newborn. All I heard was that a baby needed a home,” Tracy recalls.
She agreed to the placement immediately, then panic ensued. It was 2 p.m. She was at work, and her home was not baby-ready. She left the office early and got the place ready before Baby Benjamin arrived.
Like many new parents, Tracy marveled as she watched him sleep. She took countless pictures of his little expressions. “He was just so adorable,” she recalls. “On the first day, he grabbed a handful of my hair and looked right at me.” It was the beginning of a very special bond.
Benji went everywhere with her in those early days, and their bond grew stronger. But little did they know, another special bond would soon develop.
The first time Tracy met Benji’s birth mom, she said: “Your baby is loved, and he is well cared for. Go do whatever you need to do.”
Clara, Benji’s mom, remembers that day, too.
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May is National Foster Care Month, a time to recognize foster parents, family members, volunteers, mentors, policymakers, child welfare professionals, and other members of the community who help children and youth in foster care find permanent homes and connections.
