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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1992-01-15, Page 10• ... • DO YOU SHOP CANADIAN OR AMERICAN FOR YOUR FLOORING? Here's Proof Buying at Dinneys is Better , Product being combared: Philadelphia Pueblo (U.S. Product) T1itr�'tt�r�i►r ...Cs atrr�i#s •r1!I ad s. 'I J. r...i.. Ed and Marie Nethercott have found their years of foster parenting a rewarding experience. More homes sought Foster parenting a "chance to give something back" By Adrian Harte f EXETER '- "All you have to do is care about kids," declares Marie Nethercott, trying to explain why she and her husband Ed deckled to open their home to fos- ter children. - The Nethercotts have three children of their own, all of them now in their teens, but the desire to do more was always there. Marie guesses that out of 21 years of marriage, her home has only contained just her own family for about two of those years. Ed disagrees, pointing out that right from when thoy were first mar- ried, Marie was babysitting for neighbours. Over the years the family has also taken in boarders and handi- capped students from time to time.. Mari, herself works in a group home with the handi- capped and Ed is a janitor at the high school. With so many demands -on their time, Marie says the fostering would not be possible without the suppon of her chil- dren. ... _ .. "Our kids treat thein as siblings -.:they fight just•the same," laughs Marie. "The fact that with Marie and Ed they have always had other people around and that led them to be Foster Parents, observes Peggy Denomme from the Huron Children's Aid Society which administers the Foster Parents program in the county. "Their homes are open." "We never know who's staying for supper," agrees .,.and it doesn't matter." In order to relieve the burden on the teenagers, the Nethercous sometimes hire a tutor to help the seven and trine year old foster children with their studies. Marie and Ed spoke about what their home has been able to offer foster children. They said. one five year- old "didn't even know about the stars in the sky" .and could barely dress himself, "But they know all about soap•operas - so their baby- sitter. was the TV,"said Marie, saying she had been naive' to not realize children were out there so ne- glected and underprivileged. 7hc �hildren tgc given jobs and responsibilities around the home: a routine that educates and provides structure in their lives they may not have had before. "The Jcids didn't ask to be born into this mess...you have to make some allowances for -;that," said Marie. The parents and grandparents of the foster children do visit from time to time and a social worket often drops in to offer support and counselling. The Nethercotts had to make some changes in their lifestyle to accommodate the foster program, soige of which were not really compensated by the Children's Aid stipend., One was the purchase of a minivan to seat all seeen family members, but whatever the diffi- culties or expenses; Marie feels it is worth them all. When asked what she felt about the new "Wanted: someone to hug and bug" program to recruit new foster meths, she replied "Go for it. It's a lot of work, but the rewards are great". Lydia and. Gordon Lewis also look after foster chil- dren in their large Andrew Street home. They have Exeter Ontario Regular Price 1 795 sq. yd. s PST 1 44 GST CDN. Exchange Duty - Transportation Free Delivery Regular Price 4% State Tax 14% CDN. Exchange 14%Duty GST Transportation helped with three on long-term stays over the years, but unlike the Nethercotts, the Lewis' have specialized in helping teenage children who are reaching the end of their terms with the foster program. Lydia.says the secret to helping these children build up their self-respect and self-image is community in- volvement, either in sports, groups, or . work, often through the support of her own two children. "If you get them into things it keeps them' off the streets," she explained. "The kids who come into ous*are are usually hot in- volved with the community at ail," agreed Denomme. Along with the successes, there are disappointments. The rebellious nature of teenagers can be more pro- nounced when a child grows up with the stigma of be- ing "just a foster kid". - "Iyould hay ` had a child that went astray too," said Lewis. "T"Th a kids really do need help... In a nous moment, one of the Lewis' foster chit- _ ikon got into trouble with -the law. "It does happen. It's«uufartunate, and you still feel like you could have done something," she said. However, in crisis situations like that, Children's Aid does supply social workers to provide counselling and support to the par nfr Social workers also visit the home usually -every month to check on progress. With more emphasis these days on individual rights, Chil- dren's Aid fmds it increasingly difficult to administer the program, but it still docs have authority when re- quired. • "When we have a crisis we have a tremendous ' amount of authority, but then we have to justify that to the court," said Denomine. There are successes, .here are disappointments. Denomme says a few Huron foster children have gone on to University and college, some are excellent par- ents and some have even'become foster parents them- selves. "But they are in the minority," concedes Denomme. "I think the thing we do is to give them more choices than they might h the had." Lewis agrees and says that is why she decided to get into fostering anter reading an advertisement in the Times Advocate several years ago. "I wanted something to d that would help some- body...1 felt it was time taputionrething back," she ex- plained. "I do find it quite satisfying work. You do see a lot of results." Denomine said nt-program.for people in- terested in meeting the of fostering is getting -tinder trey in iutvn.--While--are-61i-family whh- , the program in the county, two-thirds of them are north of Highway 8. The push is on to find potential foster parents in the south end of the county, especially for "emergency" situations when .the need arises to find a bed for a displaced child. This Monday at the Exeter United Church, local ,foster parents and Children's 41id representatives will hold a seminar starting at 7:30 p.m. for people wh, might be interested in the foslot.pareotsprogram. PLUS we offer service after your purchase 467 Main St., Exeter Fine Furniture. Flooring and Window Fashions 135.0173 Coinpaa4efm 1 Tables, Lamps; Sofas, Chairs, Bedding, Occasional Chairs, t et um Suites, Uiningroom Suites, Sota Beds, Entertaitt,ment Units Carpet and Vinyl Flooring, Sewing achines, Etc\ 1. F. Peggy Denomme (Nft) chats with Lydia Lewis'ebout the foster parents pro" t9 e4 •