The Impact That Is Made | Foster Care Awareness Month

Before working at Thornwell I had very limited knowledge of foster care. I only knew what I saw in the media. Then I met two babies who were in foster care. As their preschool teacher, I knew their foster mom, Rachel, was a superhero. I learned about the resources she was able to access, and I saw the joy they brought to her life.  

I did not know about the hours of training Rachel had to go through to become a foster parent.

I did not know about trauma that happens when a child is removed from their family, regardless of age.

I did not know of the heartbreak that happens when a child reunifies with their family—or the heartbreak that occurs when parental rights are terminated.

I didn’t know about the brokenness of the foster care system. I knew even less about the incredible people who are fighting every day to make a difference in a child’s life and to mend the system at its core. 

As Thornwell’s Foster Care Program Coordinator, I’ve been blessed to meet with our incredible foster parents and hear their stories. I’ve been able to hear so many stories of hope and love. From facilitating sibling and family visits to building safe spaces at DSS offices (check out Lily Pad!) for children coming into the system to have a “soft place to land,” our foster parents are impacting children and families one child at a time.

I have great passion and pride for the work that we do in our foster care program, and I continue learning about the impact we make on children and families. 

I’ve learned that it is important to remember the pain and hurt that had to occur for a child to be in our care.

At first, it may be easy to be angry at the family of origin. It may be easy to think that these families don’t deserve their children back after the choices they’ve made. But I’ve learned it is far more complicated than that. My perspective changed when a colleague said, “no one sets out having children with the intention to harm them.” I’ve learned that there are many interventions attempted prior to the removal of children. The majority families just need HELP! Often the family is not equipped with the right skills or resources. They need a village, just like every family needs a village. When removal is necessary to keep a child safe, foster parents can become part of a family’s village in a beautiful way.   

I’ve seen our foster parents become helpful resources for families even after children return home. Many of our foster parents are more than willing to aid the reunification process, when appropriate, by offering babysitting or picking kiddos up from school. I’ve learned that wrapping arms of protection around every child (and the family) is something our foster parents do best. This is what the village truly looks like. 

The foster care system is just that, a complex system. There are so many moving pieces, but at the core there are real, caring people focused on healing. Learning the complexities has been an emotional but rewarding journey that I am so thankful God has led me on.  My colleagues and our foster families are the biggest inspiration for me in the ways they are impacting children and families who’ve endured hard things. They’ve taught me how true the statement “it takes a village” really is. 

I am honored to be able to work for a program that helps create such a strong village for families who need one. 

I encourage you to learn more about how you can help children and families involved in the foster care system.

Want to take a next step? Reach out to another one of my inspirations, our amazing Program Marketing and Recruitment Specialist, Kaley Lindquist by email at klindquist@thornwell.org or by phone at (864) 923-8446! 

Katherine DiBari,

Thornwell Foster Care Program Coordinator