Salute to local Foster Dads !
Thank you to the ultimate “influencers”—-DADS! We are thankful for every foster father who says YES to parenting children who are not theirs for a season, or for forever! Your extravagant love matters. Your tender hugs, Dad jokes, and strong arms help heal lives that someone else de-valued. Thank you for taking in children and youth, at all hours of the night, and doing what you have to do to make them feel safe, and still saying yes with a lot of unknowns. Thank you for being willing to attend more sporting events, late night study sessions, doctor’s appointments, activity drop offs, DSS visits, and long drives to medical or therapy appointments. Thank you for learning about how to support birth families, the effects of trauma, and how to discipline and show love in new ways. Thank you for allowing your world-view to be turned upside down. Thank you for making every effort you can to help your foster child heal, even if that means long talks, losing sleep, and lots of hour by hour sacrifice. Thank you for being willing to stay connected to your foster children after they have left your home to make sure they are doing okay. Your love lives on! We see you, and we salute you.
Salute 1--Pickens Foster Dad, Adam
About two years ago I called my husband and told him that we were going to foster a child. When we got home that evening from work, we had a beautiful conversation in our backyard. My husband said we’re in this together, and let’s do this! At the time, our child was just a year old, and we both had (still have) full time jobs. Adam is a full time Firefighter for Greenville County.
I’ll never forget the day we went together to pick up our first foster child. He prayed for us the night before and was ready to bring home this little baby. Adam has never missed a visit with DSS, and he has been at every court date. Doctors appointments--he is there.He selflessly stepped up to the plate to be a foster dad, and I could never be more grateful. Whatever it may be for either of our children-- he is there. We are blessed to call him ours.
Salute 2- Pickens Foster Dad, Scott
My husband and I, Scott, have 2 biological daughters who were both planning their weddings in the fall of 2020. Out of the blue, we had a long distance family friend reach out to us asking if we could take her 3 grandsons who had been placed into state custody. After much prayer my husband and I became licensed foster parents, so we could welcome these then 6,4 and 3 year old boys into our home. It became apparent shortly after that the biological parents would not be able to raise the kids, so we proceeded with adoption and here we are 2 1/2 years later as of 2022 we legally adopted our sons! My husband is such a role model for them, and is the best dad ever!
Salute 3-Anderson Foster Dad, Tobby
We were headed back from the community pool, and I noticed our shadows ahead of us and knew I was not able to share a pic of him but this was our first picture together, my first Father’s Day. I didn’t want to lose a chance at preserving this memory. He had just finished 3rd grade. Fast forward to now, he went through 6yrs in Boy Scouts, earned his Eagle Scout rank, always said he could do it, so he did! He got his first part time job last summer, kept it during his 10th grade year in school while maintaining A/B average for the first time in his past school years. He will be starting his 11th grade school year after this summer in route to being the 1st person out of his biological family to graduate high school.
Salute 4-Pickens Foster Dad, Chad
In 2016, I talked my husband into fostering children and maybe even adopting to grow our family. Foster care has been a roller coaster, good and bad, but let me tell you if it wasn’t for my husband's support, guidance, prayers I would have never made it past the first year! Over the years, we’ve accepted two sibling sets and in 2020 God had another idea for our family as we accepted a teen mom and baby boy into our home. This was an extremely hard time for us, trying to help her grow into the best mother she could be and also allow her to be a child. In the end she decided to allow us to adopt her sweet boy so she could focus on her life and heal from her trauma. Chad has shown me what a true father is!
“If you feel beaten it’s because you are a fighter.
If you feel bruised it’s because you are a protector.
If you feel empty it’s because you are a provider.
If you feel lonely it’s because you are a leader.
If you feel tired it's because you are exhausting yourself on things that ultimately matter...
...and in the end you know there's really no better way to live.” -Jason Johnson
Happy Father’s Day to all our Foster Daddies!