The little one-story ranch house is unassuming from the street view. What it fails to tell passers-by is that it is a place of healing. The walls are filled with artwork creations, from paintings to crayon drawings to wind chimes and sculptures made of natural elements picked up on wilderness walks. It is a cozy jumble, messy to some, but the personification of love and home to the child who lives here. Just outside the kitchen door is a healing herb garden. The child in the home walks barefoot over the stone path. She crouches and pinches off bits of lavender, rubbing the fragrant herb between her little palms. “See, when your hands get warm, the flowers smell gets stronger.” What was once a frenetic whirlwind of a child has morphed after cocooning in this warm home into a composed, resilient child. She still has moments of struggle, when her body remembers things her mind resists, when the noise and chaos of the world around her becomes too much. But after three years in the same, steadfast home, Miss A can point Little C to the garden or to a puffy chair in the living room and Little C is able to recalibrate.
An equally unassuming Cape Cod home is just a few miles south in a different community. Miss Z operates her home in a more structured, defined manner. “Here is my shower schedule and my schedule for the week. Here is when we are going to the park and when I have my appointments,” a little boy guides his guests. His room is spare but neat, his clothing with crisply ironed creases hanging just so in the closet. The children in Miss Z’s home need to know what is next, what the expectations are, and that she will follow through. That follow through is accompanied by affirmations when the children do well, a warm hug before bedtime, and a greeting when the child returns home from school. It is clear cut and organized, taking the uncertainty and guess-work out of the child’s hands. Miss Z’s home is vastly different from Miss A’s home, but both are providing exactly what their young charges need.
The children who come into foster care are as varied as the parents who sign on to be caregivers. They respond differently to various parenting styles, home environments, and household dynamics. While to an outsider one parenting style or household might seem better, our program holds firmly to the belief that having a variety of caregivers means that our children can flourish in a variety of ways. Every call we receive for placement involves a careful assessment of the parents we have available, their unique strengths and abilities, and what is known about the child or children in question, so that a match can be made if possible. Every new home is an opportunity to serve a new population of children. Whether your home relates more closely to Miss A’s or Miss Z’s, if you are a loving, stable, resilient adult, there is a child who might be waiting for a home just like yours. To all the Miss A’s, Miss Z’s, and everyone in between, thank you for opening your unique home and unique hearts to the children you serve. You are exactly who you need to be. #FosterHopeFosterCare #OpenHeartsOpenHomes
