Have you ever thought about becoming a foster parent? Sacramento County has recently added an online form to quickly talk to somebody about your foster care questions.
A local woman, Mrs. Myrna Terry, can speak directly to the experience of being a foster parent, having spent more than 23 years helping foster youth in our community. She is president of the Sacramento County Foster Parent Association and is a trainer for the Parent Resource Information Development Education program (PRIDE).
When Mrs. Terry started thinking about retirement, she realized she did not want to sit around at home all day. She saw a program on television about the need for foster homes, which gave her an idea of she would like to do after retirement despite the fact that Mrs. Terry and her husband already had three biological children. “Of all the roles I have had throughout my life, motherhood was the most rewarding,” she said. She and her husband decided to start the process of fostering children.
They decided to take in special needs foster children, knowing they are harder to place and have a greater need for stability.
As of today, Mrs. Terry and her husband have fostered more than 50 special needs children, and have adopted two. Their first foster child still lives in their home. Through her fostering adventure, Mrs. Terry has become an advocate for foster parents throughout the Sacramento community.
“My advice for people looking to be foster parents is to be patient and informed. The best way to work with the system is to understand it,” she said. “There are lots of resources out there for foster parents. Reach out for them; they can be very helpful.”
If you or someone you know are interested in adoption or fostering, please visit the new foster home licensing inquiry page. It only takes a minute to fill out and submit the inquiry page and staff will contact you immediately with more information.
Writer: Samantha Mott, Health and Human Services