Meet one of our foster parents, Rosemary Worthley! Rosemary began fostering after careful consideration. She was previously an educator in Harrisburg, and fostering or adoption had been on her heart for a long time.
After retiring, she thought it might be the right time to begin fostering, in addition to being the guardian of her grandchildren.
“When you bring children into your home, it affects the dynamics of your family,” Rosemary said. “We had lots of in-depth conversations; it was a family decision.”
Rosemary has now been fostering for over four years! As she looks back on her experiences, she is grateful for how bringing children into their home has enriched their lives, by learning about other family traditions and teaching her children to consider others with empathy.
Over the years, they’ve also had to adapt to dealing with behaviors and trauma responses, while simultaneously seeing incredible growth.
“Several kiddos that have come into our home have been nonverbal,” Rosemary shared. “They’ve had remarkable progress with language, learning how to express their wants and needs, and being able to socialize with strangers. The progress we’ve seen has been amazing!”
Rosemary has also seen several children flourish within the boundaries of her household, while learning how to play. She shared her essential skills for foster parenting: patience, flexibility, and the ability to love a child unconditionally, while maintaining expectations and boundaries.
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