Looking for a hero? How about foster parents? | Opinion
Imagine Rochelle Sandridge’s surprise when a uniformed Marine showed up at her Rockledge home and crisply saluted her.
The Marine was a former foster child in Brevard County who had been placed with Rochelle and her husband, Ronald, through Brevard Family Partnership (BFP.) He wanted to let them know the difference the couple had made in his life.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Rochelle said. “He saluted me. I was in tears.”
On Saturday, March 25, the Sandridges join five other foster families as honorees at BFP’s annual gala at Melbourne’s Hilton Rialto.
The gala recognizes these individuals because, very simply, they’re heroes. They’ve changed lives by giving their time, their home and their hearts to children of all ages whose families are facing difficulties. BFP’s program provides stability until home lives normalize and, ideally, everyone can live together again as a family.
Another good example is Dennis and Lynda Thompson of Cocoa, who have been fostering for 24 years. Hundreds of children in difficult situations lived in the Thompson’s home in that time. The couple even adopted four of their fosters.
“It’s been a wild and crazy ride but we wouldn’t change it for the world,” Lynda Thompson said.
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To hear the stories of love, sacrifice and commitment of people like the Sandridges and Thompsons is inspiring. And it’s hard to grasp the generations these foster families have changed for the better in the last quarter of a century.
BFP is the lead agency responsible for Brevard children that enter the dependency system, also referred to as foster care. It’s also tasked with independent living for those who have aged out of the system and adoptions for children in the county.
Fostering these days means more than just bringing children into a home. Foster parents often commit to supporting the reunification of the child with their bio-parents who might suffer from mental illness, substance abuse and their own adverse childhood experiences.”
Foster parents use their compassion and empathic instincts to care for children with trauma while compassionately supporting the efforts of families receiving services necessary for their children’s safe return home once their family is whole again.
Our Space Coast foster families have thus far shined the brightest. First and foremost, those who answer the call to foster are special individuals who give selflessly of themselves, their families, and their homes.
For those interested in being part of our foster care families:
E-mail foster@brevardfp.org to attend one of our information sessions and start the process to become licensed in the state of Florida.
Want to attend the March 25 gala?
Go to www.brevardfp.org. Tickets will be sold until Monday, March 20.
Phil Scarpelli has been president and CEO of Brevard Family Partnership since 2018. He has more than 30 years in behavioral healthcare and child welfare in both clinical and administrative capacities.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Looking for a hero? How about foster parents? | Opinion
