Author name: Janice Weiss

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!

Young parent Janell will never forget the feeling she had after Beech Acres helped her reunify with her 5-year-old daughter after a court-ordered separation. “I felt so light,” she said. “I was happy and rejoicing. All the burning of being apart went away and I embraced my baby. She was so happy, too – she hugged me and said, ‘Mommy, you did it!’ We held each other for a long time. “I was fighting for my baby and all I needed was a hand and some guidance.” Beech Acres gave that to her, and Janelle was truly grateful. Learning Parenting Skills Janell rejoined with her daughter after engaging with the Parent Enrichment Program at Beech Acres. This program is part of the umbrella of services offered through With All Families, which reflects the Beech Acres focus to extend support to all families regardless of how they are put together. Through one-on-one coaching with a specialist, she learned some important parenting skills and ideas that she now uses in her family. Here are just five examples of what she took away from the coaching: After all these discussions, Janell came away with new life skills that led to reunification with her child. The experience made her life better and led to that joyful embrace between mother and daughter. Helping to Make Her Way with Dignity It wasn’t just the coaching that helped her. Janell is grateful for the way in which her Beech Acres specialist shared the guidance with her. “Beech Acres is like that big sister who knows everything and guides you without telling you what to do,” she said. “They allow you to follow the path you make, but they guide you along the way.” “If I’m on a path and they see me going down a way that looks dangerous, Beech Acres tells me, ‘Hey sis, you’re going the wrong way, come this way!’ If you show me the tool I need in my life to make sure I don’t make mistakes, I do a better job making my way. And they give this tool to you in a way you can understand while keeping your dignity.” Janell says the help she received from Beech Acres impacted not only her parenting, but how she interacts with adults about her daughter and other social skills, too. “Now I treat every moment like it’s a super moment, because we never know how much time we have together. I’m grateful that I have the opportunity to enjoy her and embrace her. Now it’s just intensified. There are no words to explain how happy I am to have her united with me.”

When Sarah and Chris adopted 9-year-old Neveah and her 10-year-old sister Malaysia in a Montgomery County, Ohio, courtroom this month, it was the happiest day in a love story that had been building through more than five years of foster care. It’s a big change for everyone, but at least one part of family life will stay the same. Even after adoption, Sarah and Chris will continue something they’ve done throughout their time as foster parents—carefully maintaining connection with the girls’ biological family. A Sense of Belonging Sarah and Chris plan activities with the family of origin as a way to remind the girls that they belong and are loved. “We find ways for the girls to connect with their biological family any way they can – we considered it part of our job as foster parents,” Sarah said. “We’ve seen the evidence that kids are better off if they maintain some connection with their original family. That may be Mom and Dad, but it could also be grandparents, aunts, uncles and siblings. Those connections are important for the children’s mental health.” Beech Acres encourages foster parents to maintain connections between foster children and their primary families, when possible. Knowing they belong to a family, even if everyone is not living together, is a comforting part of a child’s development and allows them to own their personal history. Sarah and Chris also encourage open discussions about adoption and family relationships. “We try to make sure our kids understand this is a safe place for them to say anything, and that they can be heard,” Sarah said. “Even if they say they miss their mom, it’s important that they feel comfortable sharing that.” Foster Parenting: Flexibility and Support When Neveah and Malaysia first came into Sarah and Chris’s home, it was a full house. Together with two other siblings who were part of the same foster care placement, the house went from three children to seven children overnight. Sarah quickly learned one of the keys needed in foster parenting, which she eagerly shares with other foster parents who are just starting. “You have to be a flexible person, go with the flow, and be ok that whatever happens, happens,” she said. “There were many days when we had to change plans fast. And to do that, we quickly learned that we needed a support network. We didn’t cook dinner for ourselves for the first month – there was a constant stream of people bringing food and snacks and making Costco runs for us.” Sarah and Chris have now adopted three children whom they first embraced as foster parents, so they’ve learned some things. She remembers that many of the people in her support network wanted to help children but were not quite ready to take the leap and open their own homes. “We had dozens of healthcare appointments in those first few months, so even having a support network available to watch our other children was huge for us. It was good for the kids, too, because they had not been around many people who cared about their needs. They loved all the tasty food and new clothes our friends, family and neighbors brought.” It’s all a great reminder of the many different ways there are to help children in foster care.