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Home My WebLink AboutThe Huron Expositor, 1989-10-25, Page 5Dublin couple opens heart and home to kids EY 'LOURDES RICHARD The .have opened '.their .hearts and their 'home to several teenagers with very special weeds but Audrey and Verne :Rob- son tinsist they aren't exceptional people. The'RR'2 Dublin couple "just like; kids." Mr. and 'Mrs. Robson have given :five years of foster care to children and families of Perth County. Last week they were ',honored for their time and efforts during Foster Parents week. The Children's Aid Society (CAS) of the Coun- ty of Perthepresentted the couple with .a service ..award on Oct. 18 .at the annual Perth .County Foster Parent ,Association meeting. Right now the Robsons have three foster children' in their care. With them for the past lour years is a 20 -year-old mentally handicapped roan. Because he is over the age of 18 bis care is no longer covered by the CAS but instead by the provincial government. They also care for a 13-yearold boy who came to them from the Children's Psychiatric Research Institiute (CPRI) in London last February. Also with them for the past fourand a -half years is a 16 -year- old girl. An 18 -year-old girl who was with the Robsons for three years recently returned to her home. Mr. and Mrs. Robson said they are anxious to fill that empty bed with another child. Mr. and Mrs. Robson were approved as foster parents in Perth County 1984. There are approximately 88 children being cared for in 75 Perth County foster homes. Long-term placements They prefer long-term placements over short term when caring for foster children. "If a kid is very emotionally damaged he/she has to be in one home long enough to heal. You can form a better bond with a child ll he/she is in the home for a long time. If they are behaving badly it's not their fault. I have a very weak spot for them," Mrs. Robson said. Mr. Robson agreed with his wife. "I don't think there's a bad child born— it's what you do with them afterwards," he said. When they first applied to be foster parents they specified they preferred long- term care. But they also indicated they would like to care for girls aged 10 to 14 years of age. "I don't know why we were given special needs children," admitted Mr. Robson. But they were and it's been very satisfying. "You get more rewards working with this type of people," said Mr. Robson. There have been rough spots over the years, they said. They have dealt with a variety of discipline problems with their foster children but are more than willing to deal with whatever comes their way. "You don't send your own kids away when they are bad, so you don't send these Rids away. That's not helping them. Each time they misbehave they are facing a new rejection. They need to be accepted," said Mrs. Robson. There are cases that if a foster child,is too difficult for a foster parent to handle he/she will be taken .from that particular placement. The Robsons also like long-term foster- ing because it enables them to see the result of their caring. They are rewarded with seeing their foster children improve in life skills, behavior and attitude. "Kids are like a book and how the story reads is .what you write in it by your teachings," said Mrs. Robson. Amusing moments They are also rewarded with some very amusing,; moments along the way, like the story they told about a recent shopping trip in London, Mrs. (Robson said she gave each child a $2 bill for spending money before they set out for London. At the mall when Mrs. Robson went to pay for lunch she discovered she had a $2 bill in her wallet instead of the $100 bill she thought she had. YMeanwhile one of the boys was on a major shopping spree in the mall. It; turned out that she had given the $100 bill to one .of the boys by ,mistake but ,the other knew about it. She sat everybody down and had a family discussion on what took place. She asked the boy why he didn't tell.her that the Other Thad fa4100 bill. He told her :he rdidn't""say. anything bemuse she is always ..telling them not to 1 THE HURON -EXPOSITOR, OCTOBER 25. 1.989 — +� .BACHERI BLUE SPRUCE "The Bluest Of The Blue" 4' to '5' High REG. $195.00 Now 1 • 00 *NORWAY MAPLE 8'10 10' Bare Root REG. 555.00 Now ; °0 eNORW'AY SPRUCE 18" High - 1 Galion Potted REG. $7.76 625 Now The Lawnmaster SEAFORTH '5271750 LAST WEEK TO ORDER SALE ENDS OCT. 31 skidoo OPEN HOUSE! IMITED TIME OFFER BORDERS INCLUDED FABRICS NOT INCLUDED. Hildebrand Paint and Paper "Interior and Exterior Decorators" Main St., Seaiorth 527-1880 FOSTER PARENTS: Audrey and Verne Robson of RR 2 Dublin have been foster parents in Perth County for the past five years. They were honored recently by the Children's Aid Society of Perth County for the work they have done. snitch on each other. Support system The Children's Aid Society offers a full range of support services for foster parents and the Robsons said they have benefitted from them over the years. They have been given courses on how to handle difficult children and have made use of a video library through teaching tapes. The CAS is a support system within itself, according to the Robsons. They said they are able to talk to any of the social workers at any time. "You're not left out in left field," said Mr. Robson. "Or you can always phone another foster parent to talk if you've had a rough day. Our agency has one of the best support systems 'I've ever heard of. It seems to be very closely knit," said Mrs. Robson. Relief weekends are also available for foster parents if they want to go away for a weekend. Volunteer drivers Besides providing a loving home for their children Mr. and Mrs. Robson have also driven many kilometers as volunteers for the agency. They said they are on the road at least five days a week taking various foster children and other recipients of the CAS services to therapy sessions, doctor's appointments, and home visits with parents, to name a few. Mr. Robson said the couple does quite a bit of driving with their own children, too. He has bought a new van every year for the past five years..This year's van, pur- chased in May, has already 32,000 kilometers on it. They have, in addition, a family car. THANK YOU Thanks to everyone who supported the Foster Parent Association 50/50 Draw. The WINNER was Lisa .Doney, Orangeville, Ont. T .R I rho IBJ C L E DISC o C 0 U ,N, i turns ut Fostering and volunteer driving aren't the Robsons only involvements. Mr. Rob- son owns a livestock business, holds a computer auction every Monday for the selling of pigs, and does the books for two of his natural sons businesses. • "It all works in," he answered when ask- ed where he finds the time. Between them, Mr. and Nirs. Robson have 10 children of their own although only one remains living at home. They have 23 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. In 1977 they cared for a girl who came from the Hamilton -Wentworth area. She is now their daughter-in-law. It will probably be five more years before the Robsonsogive sm fostering, but who knows for sure. +}i" "We haven't set a +curfew," said Mr. Robson. Right now they- are concentrating on the task they have undertaken. "The Lord blessed us with healthy kids. The Bible says love and help one another and that's it," summed up Mrs. Robson. SHOP THE CLASSIFIEDS! DATE: Thursday, Oct. 26 TIME: 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. New models! New features! New excitement! 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GLADE POTEP fN',URBI O,AINNERiN,OTE: z, ibt4M44 1f 1 VOMIAnt10l1Aa�►.a'Is,P It illgilts.otth i 0010011 1.01itr,, 41 m A A t fiG PUIVNI*1.0rtai'1Bll Of AO. P' tit