March 12, 2024

Women’s History Month Spotlight: Simone Biles’ Foster Care Story In March, we celebrate Women’s History Month at Beech Acres by honoring women who personify our mission and show great strength in their lives. Simone Biles is one of these women. Simone used her strength of creativity for some of the most spectacular gymnastic routines the world has seen in the history of the sport. Fans everywhere couldn’t wait to see her in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. And yet, when she encountered unexpected problems on the world stage, Simone showed us strength in other ways. Her bravery in confronting and addressing those problems was inspiring to young women everywhere, while teaching us all how to grow through the character strengths of honesty and perseverance. Simone’s positive example continues today as she advocates for mental health and safety. When President Biden awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2022, it was as if the entire country was expressing our thanks to her for all she has taught us. Speaking Out for Foster Families As much as we can learn from how she carried herself through those difficult days, she has even more to share. Simone was a foster child earlier in life, and today she is dedicated to educating people about the journeys foster children go through. Simone asks us to remember who she is just as much as what she does, and her life as a foster child will always be part of who she is. Simone and her siblings entered foster care when she was 3 years old because their biological mom was struggling with drug and alcohol abuse. They spent three years in foster care. She was fortunate to see her grandfather and his wife, Ron and Nellie, when they visited, and Simone and her siblings even moved in with them at one point. This is an example of Kinship Care, when foster children enter the care of extended family to bring even more stability and love into their lives. Simone and her siblings were among the more than 2 million children in Kinship Care every day in this country. “I was very, very blessed and fortunate,” Simone told USA Today in 2021. “I felt love, care. I was healthy. I was safe.” Simone was eventually adopted by Ron and Nellie and explains that she credits them with much of her success. “Having my parents and that support made me who I am today,” she said. “Being separated from my biological mom, being placed in foster care before I officially got adopted by my grandparents, it just set me up for a better route at life. I’m forever grateful for that because I definitely got a second shot at life.” Today, as she travels the country, she talks with foster children, and it makes her day. “You see their eyes light up and it’s super exciting because they realize I was in their exact position.” And Simone is quick to offer advice and encouragement. “I tell them that they’re not alone and that it’s going to be OK. That you can still be great in the world,” she told USA Today. “Being in foster care isn’t going to be your only title.” *** Would you like to learn about becoming a Foster Care Family? Contact us today for more information!