Tuesday, December 26th: The Gift of Fostering

ABOUT THEIR JOURNEY IN HOPES THAT MORE PEOPLE WILL FEEL CALLED TO OPEN THEIR HOMES. >> LOOK AT EVERYBODY. >> HI. >> CAN YOU HEAR US? >> I CAN HEAR YOU. CAN YOU HEAR ME? >> HELLO. >> THE HOLIDAYS MAYBE A WHOLE LOT DIFFERENT THIS YEAR, GATHERING AROUND COMPUTER SCREENS TO SHARE IN THE CHAIR, BUT SOME TRADITIONS REMAIN STEADY AND STRONG, JOYFUL SMILES FROM FAMILIES WHERE THEY BELONG. >> MERRY CHRISTMAS. >> THE CELEBRATION IS EXTRA SPECIAL UNDER SOME ROOFS THIS YEAR, WITH HOMES AND HEARTS OPEN TWO FOSTER CHILDREN AND ADOPTION. X SHE REMAINS THE BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT WE HAVE EVER GOTTEN. >> THIS MARKS THREE YEARS SINCE LISA ADOPTED HER DAUGHTER, VIOLET. >> I GOT A PHONE CALL ON FRIDAY FOR A FIVE DAY OLD BABY GIRL THAT ON MONDAY NEEDED TO BE DISCHARGED FROM THE HOSPITAL INTO A HOME. >> LISA WAS JUST BECOMING A LICENSED FOSTER PARENT. RILEY WAS THE FIRST FOSTER CHILD IN HER HOME. AFTER MORE THAN A YEAR, IT BECAME CLEAR THAT RILEY COULD NOT BE REUNITED WITH HER BIOLOGICAL FAMILY. >> I KNEW INSTANTLY THAT IF THE DAY EVER CAME SHE COULD NOT GO HOME, SHE WOULD NEVER LEAVE HERE. X RILEY IS NOW FOUR YEARS OLD. IN THAT TIME, LISA HAS FOSTERED A DOZEN CHILDREN. >> I DO NOT BECOME A FOSTER PARENT WITH THE INTENT TO ADOPT. I LOVED ADOPTION, BUT I DID NOT KNOW THAT WAS IN MY STORY. I WANTED TO BE PART OF RE-UNIFYING KIDS WITH THEIR PARENTS. IT HAS BEEN A STEADY STREAM OF CHILDREN EVER SINCE. CURRENTLY, WE HAVE PLACEMENTS NUMBER 10, 11, AND 12 HERE. >> AS A FOSTER PARENT, LISA RISES TO THE ROLE OF PROVIDING A SAFE, LOVING PLACE FOR CHILDREN. SOME ARE REUNITED WITH THEIR FAMILIES. SOME CANNOT BE, AND MOVE ON TO ADOPTIVE HOMES. >> THE GOAL IS ALWAYS TO GET YOUR CHILD BACK IN YOUR HOME. IF IT IS SAFE, EVERY CHILD DESERVES TO BE WITH THEIR BIOLOGICAL FAMILY. TO BE THE PERSON TO HELP A CHILD THROUGH THE MOST CONFUSING, SCARY, UNCERTAIN TIMES OF THEIR LIFE, I CONSIDER A PRIVILEGE AND AN HONOR. QUITE SOME DAY, LISA WOULD LIKE TO ADOPT ANOTHER CHILD, A SIBLING FOR RILEY. >> SHE KNOWS SHE IS ADOPTED. WE HAVE PICTURES OF HER PARENTS. SHE DOES NOT QUITE GRASP IT YET. AS SHE GETS OLDER, SHE WILL. SHE WILL HAVE QUESTIONS, AND SHE WILL FEEL THE LOSS. >> LISA FEEL SO LOST ONE FOSTER CHILDREN LEAVE HER CARE. SHE KNOWS SHE HAS DONE HER BEST TO LEAD THEM TO BETTER LIVES. YOU FORGET EVERY TEAR SHED, EVERY REALLY HARD, CHALLENGING BEHAVIOR AND NIGHT. IT REALLY IS WORTH IT. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW REALISTICALLY THERE’S A LOT THAT COMES WITH IT. IT’S NOT A WAYS EASY. YOU HAVE TO BE WILLING TO DO THE HARD. >> AND YOU WOULD NOT CHANGE A THING. >> I WOULD NOT. RIGHT? I WOULDN’T CHANGE A THING. SHE HAS BROUGHT MORE JOY TO MY LIFE THEN WE CAN EVEN IMAGINE. AND SHE IS SUCH A HAM. >> LYNN AND COLLEEN HAVE FOSTER FAMILIES ON THEIR WISH LIST THIS YEAR. FOR NOW, THEY LIVE AT THE WEBSTER HOUSE IN MANCHESTER, A GROUP HOME FOR CHILDREN WHO CANNOT BE AT THEIR OWN HOMES RIGHT NOW. >> I WANT TO FAMILY VERY MUCH. THAT’S WHAT I HAVE WANTED SINCE I REALIZED I AM NOT GOING HOME. >> LYNN IS 14 YEARS OLD. THIS WILL BE HER SECOND CHRISTMAS AT WEBSTER HOUSE. I JUST WANT SOMEBODY WHO’S GOING TO BE THERE FOR ME AND CARE FOR ME. I KNOW WHAT THAT’S LIKE. PEOPLE HERE DO THAT FOR YOU ALL THE TIME, BUT IT’S SO DIFFERENT. >> COLINA 17. SHE -- COLLEEN IS 17. SHE LOVES FORESTS AND CARPENTRY AND ONCE A FOSTER FAMILY -- WANTS A FOSTER FAMILY OF HER OWN. HER LIST INCLUDES ALL THE KIDS AT WEBSTER HOUSE. THEY ARE GREAT KIDS WHO CAME FROM BAD SITUATIONS. I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT FOR THEM TO HAVE A FOSTER FAMILY OF THEIR OWN. THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR HAS HELP CHILDREN THROUGH THE HOLIDAY SEASON HERE FOR THE PAST 36 YEARS. >> IT’S THE SECOND BEST CHRISTMAS THE KIDS ARE GOING TO HAVE. >> WHAT’S THE FIRST BEST? >> WE ARE ALWAYS SECOND BEST. EVERY KID WANTS TO BE IN A HOME, IF NOT THEIR HOME, THAN A FOSTER HOME. IT’S A FULL HOUSE FOR THE BARTEL FAMILY. >> THIS IS OUR THIRD YEA WITH SIX. >> AN E -- ANNA AND CHRISTOPHER HAD FOUR CHILDREN OF THEIR OWN BEFORE THEY STARTED DOING FOSTER CARE. JUST SENDING ARTICLES LEFT AND RIGHT. FOSTER CARE WAS SOMETHING WE COULD DO AS A FAMILY. IT JUST ENDED UP THAT BOTH OF OUR CASES WENT TO ADOPTION. WHEN THEY SAY ARE YOU WILLING TO ADOPT THES CHILDREN, THERE WAS NO WAY WE COULD SAY NO. NOW THEY HAVE THREE BOYS AND THREE GIRLS FROM THREE YEARS OLD TO 15. ANNA, PHOTOGRAPHER, CAPTURES THE MOMENTS THAT CAPTURE HER HEART. CHRISTOPHER SAYS THEY ARE LEARNING JUST HOW MUCH LOVE THEIR HEARTS CAN HOLD. >> I THINK SOME PEOPLE HAVE THIS IDEA THAT LOVE IS LIKE THIS LITTLE CIRCLE AND ONCE YOU HAVE USED ALL OF IT UP THERE IS NONE LEFT. BUT WE HAVE LEARNED THAT THAT LOVE MULTIPLIES. >> SUPPORT FROM FRIENDS, THEIR CHURCH, AND OTHER FOSTER FAMILIES GUIDE THEM THROUGH THE GROWING PAINS. >> THERE IS JUST SO MUCH JOY IN HAVING SO MANY SIBLINGS. >> IF YOU ARE GOING TO DO IT, ALL IN. YOU HAVE TO GO ALL OUT. YOU HAVE TO LET YOURSELF FEEL ALL THE FEELINGS, GO ON THE ROLL COASTER, THE UPS, THE DOWNS, THE SORROWS, THE JOYS. >> THIS IS OUR FAMILY. TO HAVE THIS HOUSE BE FULL OF THIS. >> MERRY CHRISTMAS.