Loading...
The Lucknow Sentinel, 1978-11-22, Page 14Page 14.-Aueltoolv Sentinel, Wedne#41*3', November '22,1978 3, APPUAIMCES & TELEVISION • 308 HURON ROAD 524.4301 1 , GODERICH MAYTAG ADMIRAL KELVINATOR WOODS WHITE WESTINGHOUSE • HOOVER EUREKA RCA . SANYO PRICE-SELECTION•SERVICE 4'40•1-1" VVVILIVP at& JIM titeralai atto 1977p0 CATALINA Stationwagon 1976 MERCURY MARQUIS Air conditioning, P.W., 1976 PORD StationLTDwagon i975 MeRCURY MONTEGO Stationwa9on 1975 ANIC MATADOR - Stationwagon 1914 WC GREMLIN 1974 METEOR, 2 Dr. Hrd. 1974 FORD LTD 2 Or. fird. 1974 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS 4 Dr. 1973 PONTIAC ASTRE • 1973. CHRYSLER 4 Or. Sedan " • hitt& gob BE PREPARED For WINTER DRIVING Let MONTGOMERY MOTORS install a new pair of SNOW TIRES • his 'own cMOTORS LUCKNOMT PHONE 5284007 FORD Jffl and Murray Van Mid have been fostering children for the Bruce County Children's Aid Society for two years. They have fostered eight children over the two year period and find the experience exciting and challenging. Murray feels that a man's best investment is in his own children. Their son, Aaron, is shown with them. They adopted their son, Aaron, four months ago and are enjoying parenthood immensely. [Sentinel Staff photo] Foster children, an exciting challenge You don't need any special experience or training to be a foster parent says Jill Van Driel, "All you need is to love children and bring them up as your own." She and her •husband, Murray, who farm near Ripley, have been fostering for two years. During that time eight children have come into their care, ranging in age from five months to 17 years. They have two school age children with • them, now, who have lived in their home for almost two years. When the Children's Aid Society takes children from their parents, they try to work with the parents to improve the home situation so that the children may return home, says Jill. It is never their intention to take the children away. Sometimes when the parents refuse to make changes, the children are made wards of the Crown and are placed - for adoption. Jill took a child care course in England and worked there in a children's home, before returning to Canada. ,She was only 20 at.the time and the teenage boys at the home were a handful she'. says. The CAS has a difficult time finding parents, who will foster teen- agers. There is a shortage. of foster parents, •especially for teenage 'children. She and Murray decided to foster children, because Jill wanted to remain in the home after they married, and she found fostering a natural step from her child care experience. With. the children coming and going during the first year, they were fostering, it was exciting as they looked forward to the children coming, "It keeps life interesting," Jill laughs. She says she always cries when a child eaves their home. "The babies are the hardest to give up." She and Murray have adopted a son, Aaron, who is four months t)1d. 'Ifs nice to have a child to keep/' smiles Jill, with pride in her •eyes, "You know they won't be phoning to say they're coming to get him next Wednesday." ' Murray feels that if a man :wants to invest in something in this life, the best investment is in his„ own children. "If you teach a child love and concern," says Murray, "then he will take care of you in your time as you cared for him." Murray and Jill find that children—who have come from a troubled home need the security of a home where there is routine, limitations and they know the rules. Many times these children have been left to run at home. "They want limitations set for them," says Jill. A group home cannot provide the individual attention or the love, found in the security of a home, she says. "These children need to be able to trust someone." Foster parents have many reasons for taking children into their homes. The obvious one is that they like children. Some foster parents have raised their own families and miss having children in the home, so they foster to bring a faMily into their home again. Jill and Murray foster as a part of bringing their Christian ministrye One of the biggest concerns they have for the children in their care is that they come to learn about Jesus. "The children need someone that they can hang onto, and if they leave here knowing about the Lord, they have hitt.' M their lives from then on," says Jill. The recent bad publicity, concerning the Kim Popen case in Sarnia, has not changed Jill and Murray's respect for the Children's Aid Society. Every case is different and it's hard to deal with some situations says Jill. Children's Aid 'is not infallible and in some cases they are not allowed into the home to help because the parents prevent it. Many times a case will go to court and then it is a judge's decision to place the child in the custody of the parents or the Children's Aid. A social worker will stand in a court room and cry because a judge has made a decision to return a child to his parents and there is nothing that can be done, she comments. The Society really appreciates their foster homes says Jill. The •board money and clothing allowance for' the Children ade- quately covers their ,eXpenses and medical expenses are also . paid, for by the Society. "They make you feel as if you are doing a real favour by taking the children, when we feel they are doing us a favour by allowing us to foster.' '