My journey with foster care started before I could even walk. Growing up in the same town as my grandparents, who fostered an incredible 264 children over 25 years, I was surrounded by babies from the very start. My grandma handled most of the baby care, and every morning, after bathing each infant, my grandpa would feed them their first bottle—usually starting at 5:30 a.m. He also helped with the evening feedings, though he often dozed off before the last bottle was done. They were a great team.
Some of my best childhood memories come from growing up around those foster babies. My parents also fostered five infants during my elementary school years, and they shared my room. I learned early on that love doesn't have to be forever to be meaningful.
By the time I was 13 or 14, fostering had become such a normal part of my life that when my grandparents left town to receive an award for their incredible dedication, they trusted me to care for five babies for the entire day. It was exhausting, but it also deepened my love and respect for the work they did. And yes—my grandma used cloth diapers with big safety pins and rubber pants, all hand-washed and line-dried!
My grandma always had a philosophy: “Love them while they are with us, and send them with just as much joy when they leave.” That mindset shaped me in ways I carry with me today. Fostering was never just something my family did—it was part of who we were. Now, my cousin Kim and her husband are continuing that legacy by fostering babies in Palm Beach County.
Foster care will always be close to my heart, and I’m grateful for the lessons, memories, and deep sense of purpose it has given me.
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