My wife Amanda and I have been Home Parents in Harrisburg, Missouri for almost two years now. During that time, we’ve had the privilege to care for 20 children as longer term placements in our home. Many of those are sibling sets. The need is bigger than we ever realized, because of the number of children suffering from abuse and neglect. (Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries receives, on average, one call per day of a child needing a safe place.) I’m so proud to be a part of an organization that is making a difference.
As a Home Parent, when you’re so close to the action day to day, sometimes it can be hard to see the positive impact that we’re making in the life of a child. It’s kind of like, as a parent, you know your child is growing physically each day, but you don’t realize how much until you look at a photo from a year ago. We sometimes don’t realize how much we are helping our children until a story like this occurs.
There’s a young girl in our home who has been with us for about a year now. She was sitting on the porch with Amanda recently, when out of the blue and for the first time since arriving she said, “I used to dread going home after school. The only place I ever felt safe was at school or at church. I was so scared and hated to go home, but it’s not like that here. When I came, I was worried that it would be like that, but it’s NOT. I always know you are going to welcome me when I come home from school. You even give me a snack after school.”
A small thing like a snack after school seems like such a small thing to us. Something barely even noticeable day by day. But for her, it changed her world. It’s moments like that when we realize that not only can we see the impact we are making, but we have hope in realizing how much that will change the trajectory of her life. Not only her life, but her future family’s life and the people she will interact with as an adult.
That only happens because every day, day by day, our children have a place to feel safe, loved and the freedom to just be a kid without worrying about whether or not it is safe to go home after school.
It’s all because of the support of donors like you who give to make this ministry what it is. Thank you.
~~Cody Cox
Home Parent Dad in The Zimmer Home
