Foster care and adoption from foster care have long been mysterious and distant systems for many families. The idea of caring for a child and possibly returning them to the very situation they were removed from makes many a heart cringe with fear and sadness. It is often thought the work of saints and people more giving and selfless than we see ourselves but, this is not always the case. Many resource parents, previously referred to as foster parents, are in fact people you run into at the grocery store, the bank teller, the small business owner down the street and Janis and Ronnie Wood, resource parents with Redwood Community Services, Inc.
Janis and Ronnie Wood have been resource parents since 2001 and began with no intention of adoption. “I spoke with Ronnie about fostering and he agreed that we had more than enough to give to a child and the support to do this,” shares Janis. The Wood family began their fostering journey thinking they would be working with young parents who needed a little extra help. Having her own children recently leave for college, the idea of sharing their home and mentoring birth parents appealed to Janis and Ronnie and so they began.
The Woods first fostered a group of siblings and, when it was determined they would not reunite with birth parents, supported their adoption with family members. As the Director of the Child Development Center at Mendocino College and working within the education system with resource parents and social workers Janis understood the importance of keeping siblings together and the struggle for agencies to find homes that can take multiple children at one time. To Ronnie it was vital to keep these siblings connected and to support their adoption. Following the adoption finalization Ronnie travelled across multiple states to visit and celebrate a very happy birthday for one of these children. “Their happiness is our first priority and while we grew very attached, we knew this was the right thing for all of them,” says Ronnie Wood.
It is estimated that nearly two-thirds of children in out-of-home care have siblings (Casey Family Programs 2003).
“The sibling relationship is the longest relationship a person will ever experience in their lifetime; longer than the parent/ child relationship, longer than any romantic relationship, etc. Separating siblings in foster care robs them of time and experiences together…we have no right to do that. It is our responsibility to do whatever is possible to preserve and foster that unique relationship,” states Redwood Community Services Program Director Kate Napp.
Fast forward to 2020 and the Woods family is blessed with a second sibling set of three children ranging in age from two to eight. As they celebrate Adoption Awareness Month the Woods prepare for the finalization of their adoption of all three children which is anticipated to occur in December. “You never know the level of attachment you’ll have. Fostering has been very fulfilling for us, our family, friends and even our co-workers. It’s good for your heart and we are all so eager to celebrate these three beautiful children joining our forever family,” says Janis Wood.
When asked what she would say to others about fostering and fostering to adopt Janis replied “If you don’t, who will? It is more fulfilling than you think. What other opportunity could make such a difference for a child?”
According to Kidsdata.org California had nearly 60,000 children and youth in foster care as of 2018 with 499 in Humboldt County, 177 in Lake County and 253 in Mendocino County. In 2015 Kidsdata reported that more than half the children in foster care whose permanency plan included adoption were in foster situations for over 24 months before being adopted.
Redwood Community Services, Inc. has been providing foster care services since its incorporation in 1995 and now serves Humboldt, Mendocino, Lake and Northern Sonoma Counties. Our Foster Care programs are designed to create a supported living environment for youth in the foster care system. Youth are placed with approved resource families, who are educated through a multi-faceted training program in order to prepare them for meeting the social, emotional, and behavioral needs of the youth in their care. To address the differing needs of the children and youth within the foster care system and the complexity of family dynamics, Redwood Community Services offers an array of foster care options.
For more information on foster care and foster to adopt services with Redwood Community Services please call 1-833-206-CARE (2273) or visit www.redwoodcommunityservices.org, Facebook and Instagram.
