Rebekah Children ' s Services was established in 1897 and currently serves over 3,000 children annually . Learn more at : RCSKids . org
siblings together whenever possible .
“ We are always looking for families who can take in two , three and sometimes four kids . That ’ s a big ask , but we would love to have just even a couple homes that can do this ,” Misley said . We ’ re in desperate need of homes ,” said Becky Gabuat , family recruiter and community liaison for RCS . “ We ’ ve been having to turn down placements a lot lately because we ’ re full .”
The COVID pandemic has added some challenges , including increasing the number of people who think fostering a child is a good way to make money , which , Misley stressed firmly , it is not . “ If you ’ re calling because you lost your job and need money , this is not the right path for you ,” she said .
The ideal candidate for fostering , Misley explained , is , “ Someone who is willing to work as a team and understand that the goal of the county is reunification . We are here to support these kids until they go home .”
Rachel shared , “ Reunification can be a difficult idea for people to get their minds around . It can be very challenging when you see the situations these kids are coming from and all the obstacles the bio parents have to overcome in order to become healthy enough to care for their children .”
This means accepting that there will be heartbreak involved , Rachel said . “ If you ’ re opening your heart to these kids and you ’ re not emotionally invested , you ’ re probably doing something wrong . Whether your heart is broken by just bearing witness to their trauma , or because they reunify , it is 100 percent worth it because kids deserve emotionally invested caregivers .”
This is why families that foster should have their own deeply supportive communities , said “ Leah ,” a foster-adoptive mom of three in South County who wishes to be anonymous . “ You go into foster-adopting thinking it will be unicorns , rainbows and snuggles and it ’ s brokenness and walking besides these little people who haven ’ t learned to accept love . We learned the value of community .”
For interested foster families , Gabuat explained that the process begins with a phone screening to glean some essential information , such as size of home , if they ’ re working , or have a criminal record . Then an hour-long orientation where Gabuat explains the history of RCS , and the steps to becoming a foster or adoptive parent .
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN SPRING 2021 gmhtoday . com
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