On Friday, May 4th, our staff, foster parents, children, and friends gathered for our annual Foster Parent Appreciation Dinner.  Children and youth gathered in a separate room and played games, created artwork, and had fun while being cared for by babysitters.  For the parents and guests, there was dinner, dancing, and dessert, as well as a few speeches.  Here is an excerpt from our Program Director, Bob Costa, when he addressed the group.

Our theme this evening, “you are worth more than gold”. This a tribute to the daily work that foster parents do with our state’s most vulnerable children.

Over the centuries Gold has been equated with wealth and power, Fort Knox, the settling of California. But those in foster care understand that a foster parent’s weight in gold is much more.

It’s the ability to work with a child or siblings who have endured trauma at an early age that most adults would never experience. It’s the ability to live in a fishbowl when the daily ebbs and flows of life are scrutinized and at times criticized.  It’s the ability to accompany a child to a home visit with a birth parent and then soothe the youngster when they cannot understand why they have to leave mommy or daddy.

Foster Parents are worth more than gold because you cannot put a price on compassion, love, endurance, patience and resilience.

Often time’s members of the community ask me what do foster parents do? I can explain the role of a foster parent but the real reason lies somewhere else. The answer I believe lies in this quote from Simon Sinek a British author and motivational speaker.

It’s not what you do BUT WHY you do it. It comes from your soul and your heart.

Gold has no heart or soul.

The JRI Foster Care Team appreciates and honors your service to children and we Thank you for everything you do!

To all of the people who open their hearts and homes to children and youth in need of a soft landing place, both through formal foster care, kinship care, guardianship care, and informal care, thank you for all you do.

If you are interested in joining our team, please reach out to our Home Finding Team.  #FosterHopeFosterCare #OpenHeartsOpenHomes