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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2000-10-25, Page 15THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2000. PAGE 15. Huron CAS honours area foster families Years of dedication Barbara and Dave Bank of the Ethel area were just one of two local families recognized for 10 years of involvement with the Huron County foster parent program. By Janice Becker Citizen staff Each year, families from across the region are recognized for their years as foster parents, providing care to children in need. Jim and Marilyn Campbell of East Wawanosh Twp. have welcomed the youngest of those into their home for 10 years. With her children reaching more independent ages, Campbell said she PEOPLE AROUND CRANBROOK By Peter Hagedoorn Cell A cf MMk „ 887-6935 Ten tables played at euchre at the Cranbrook Hall last Friday with the PEOPLE AROUND ETHEL By Margaret McMahon ■9250 The regular euchre party was held at Ethel Community Hall on Oct. 16 hosted by Helen and Norman Dobson with 13 tables in play. The winners were as follows: 50/50, Shirley Verstoep; high lady, Eva Harrison; second high, Lois McLean, Ruby Armstrong (tied); high man, Helen Dobson; second, John Subject; lone hands, Edna McLellan, Norman Dobson, Jim McGillawee; tally card, Alda Warden, Margaret Peebles, Shirley Verstoep, Bob Bateman, Hazel McKenzie, Ross Stephenson, Margaret Long, Lome Lambkin, Violet Smith and Mac Smith. was at a point where she was consid­ ering the next phase of her life. It was then that they were asked to pro­ vide relief fostering for an infant. She also felt it would be a great way to teach her pre-teens about child care. “I came from a really large family,” said Campbell. “Little children had always been my thing.” In the 10 years the Campbells have fostered children, mostly preschool­ ers, she estimates between 30 and 35 have been in their home for varying following results: high lady, Eileen Mann; high man, Neil Hatt; low lady, Brenda Perrie; low man, Jean Little; travelling lone hand, Eileen Mann; most lone hands, lady, Beryl Smith and June Jacklin; most lone hands, man, Lloyd Weber and Keith Turnbull; tally card winners, Isabel Bremner, Helen Gallup, Ken Crawford, Eleanor Stevenson, Ross Stephenson, Elunid McNair, Hank Lawrence, 50/50, Lorraine Secrett. The party for John and Nancy Vanass had a good crowd attending The next regular euchre party will be held on Oct. 30 at 8:30 p.m. ^s^/ontario )rn< JUNIOR CITIZEN \W0F THE YEAR VA WARDS Deadline - Oct. 31stz 2000 Contact this community newspaper for details. ELECT DOUG MILLER as Reeve Ashfield-Colborne -Wawanosh For - Experience - Committment, periods of time. As in most fostering situations, some children come for just a day or two in emergency situ­ ations while others can stay for years. Of those children, Campbell said three were eventually adopted, while most went to be with a family mem­ ber. The Campbells have always fos­ tered as a family. She asks her chil­ dren’s opinions on various situations and has the full support of her hus­ band so they work as a team. “This would be almost impossible without Jim’s support.” Campbell points out that the fami­ ly approach works best for them, but there are cases where children are definitely more comfortable in a sin­ gle-parent home. “There is room for every type of parent.” Caring for little ones can be very difficult, she added, not because of the work involved, but because “they take a little piece of your heart when they go.” However, she notes that it is very important for the children to have the opportunity to learn to bond with the family, thereby making it easier to bond in their permanent situation. Because of the uncertainty of fos­ ter care duration for any particular child, Campbell said the family has adopted a motto, love them while you have them. “Don’t waste time with them, just love them.” Campbell said she takes the great­ est pleasure in seeing the children become strong and healthy. With a nursing background, she has cared for some with health problems. “There is satisfaction in seeing them develop.” With the varying difficulties expe­ rienced by the children, Campbell said she has taken programs in speech therapy, learned sign lan­ guage for one child and has gained the ability to see areas of individual weakness. She also credits the tremendous support provided to foster parents by the therapists and social workers for to wish them well and there was lots of food. I could not attend as I was seeing my millennium twins. Benjamin is portly and a pablum food junky who eats with relish and very neatly, while Evelyn, who is thin, likes to wipe her food all over her face and in her scanty hair. They were not terri­ bly taken with their grandfather (that weird man with a beard), but when their eight-year-old sister came home they just blossomed. The twins are doing well. HELPING THE WORLD WRITE NOW CODE Self-sufficiency through literacy in the developing world For information, call 1-800-661-2633 the help given to the children. Dave and Barbara Bank of the Ethel area, said that agency support has been very important in their 10 years of foster service in Huron County. Providing homes for teens, often troubled, there have been times when the support was used every day, in the late night hours. While the Campbells preferred to have younger foster children than their own family, for the Banks, chil­ dren of the same age group worked best. The Banks actually began provid­ ing care in 1986 in Kitchener, but moved to the county 10 years ago, bringing with them one of the chil­ dren. Bank said he initially got involved with the program because the family was financially well-off and felt they could provide a good place for chil­ dren in need. To his surprise, he said, no matter what the situation was like at home, the children always wanted to go back. However, they did have one case where a child ran away from home to go back to the Banks’. Having started fostering when their own children were small, the age of the foster children has increased as the family aged. Now only a 17-year-old son at home, the Banks only have teen boys as foster children. Bank said it was a challenge mov­ ing from younger children to the older ones. “The youngsters need more attention while the older ones can be more destructive.” Bank has also learned new ways for parenting through his involve­ ment with the program. Though he had believed spanking was the way to discipline, he soon learned to use privilege removal, which worked for his own children as well. “My son preferred a spanking because then the punishment was over. He could lose a privilege for longer.” His wife, Barbara agrees that they learned a lot of parenting skills, tak­ ing advantage of many courses AH Candidates Meeting for Ashfield - Colborne - Wawanosh to be held at Brookside Public School County Road 20, Ashfield Township on Thursday, October 26th, 2000 at 7:00 p.m PLAN TO ATTEND Neil Rintoul for Councillor in the Wawanosh Ward of the Municipality of Ashfield - Colborne - Wawanosh - 3 years experience on West Wawanosh Council - fair and ready to listen to all sides - committed to building a strong community which were offered to the parents. Bank said he also enjoyed provid­ ing a home for mentally challenged youth. “They were a lot of fun.” Over the 14 years of foster parent­ ing, she said they have had more than 70 children in their home and the support of the Children’s Aid Society has always been there. “You are never alone.” Of the benefits of fostering. Bank said his children have had a positive experience. “They have learned about a part of life they may never have seen.” “They learned to share while still protecting themselves and their pos­ sessions,” Mrs. Bank added. “They have seen a broader aspect of life.” The Banks agree it is more diffi­ cult now to be a foster parent. “You need to be really dedicated, “ he said. “You have to be ready for anything at any time,” she said. Check out our WEBSITE at www.northhuron.on.ca Notice to Electors Townships of Ashfield, Colborne & West Wawanosh Vote By Mail Reminder: Return envelopes may also be dropped off during normal office hours, any day leading up to the election, at the Municipal Offices of Ashfield, Colborne and West Wawanosh. The Ashfield Township Municipal Office will remain open until 8:00 p.m. on election day, November 13th, 2000, for the purpose of receiving return envelopes. Linda Andrew, Returning Officer