During Foster Family Appreciation Week, we want to celebrate foster families who are dedicated to children, youth and families in the Hamilton community. Mary-Jane and her husband Jim are foster parents with Hamilton CAS. Mary-Jane’s passion for helping children started at a young age, “I always wanted to be a foster parent. My husband’s parents were foster parents for twenty-five years, so when I read in the paper that there was a need for foster parents, we just had to help.”
Mary-Jane and Jim’s two children were in high school when they made the decision as a family to start fostering, “You all have to be on the same page and check in regularly. As a foster family, we become just a piece of a larger puzzle. We work together as a part of the child’s story and are also a part of the family’s journey as well.”
Mary-Jane and Jim also have a large support network of 12 other foster families who meet virtually on a regular basis and have continued to support each other during COVID-19.
We asked Mary-Jane if she had any advice for someone who is considering fostering, and she said; “If you’re thinking about doing it, just do it!” Thank you Mary-Jane and Jim and to all foster parents who are making a difference in the lives of children, youth and families.
