Featured Foster Family: Eleisha and Andrea
Getting Started
Eleisha was a foster parent for several years in both Michigan and Virginia before moving to Wisconsin and has experience with both guardianship and adoption.
Andrea was a respite provider with Family Works before becoming licensed in foster care. Andrea works in an assisted living facility and loves her role. She shares that she was “always meant to be a caregiver”.
Family Lifestyle
Andrea and Eleisha have a large, blended, interracial family. The two boys that Eleisha had taken guardianship of are now adults but her son that she adopted is now 14 years old and remains in the home and Andrea has a daughter that is 8 years old. They enjoy doing foster care and bringing new children into their home. Every child that comes into their home is treated as family. “We want them to know that we will be here and be moms, even if they go home or to another home. We will always love them and be there for them. They are our family.”
What Keeps them Going?
They enjoy doing activities such as going to the park, playing outside, having family movie nights, shopping and doing big outings such as spending the day at Action City. They share that they have a family friend who they call Teta, which is Lithuanian for auntie. They see their Teta several times throughout the week. Their Teta lives out in the country, so they love taking the children to their house to go swimming, playing in the water, grilling, and having bonfires.
Words of Advice from Eleisha and Andrea
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- In the end it is so much fun, even the sad and hard times mean so much. The memories you make are wonderful.
- Enjoy the small wins.
- You never stop learning. You will learn something new each day.
- Every child is so different. Learn what works best for that child.
- Every day is going to be a new experience. No day will look the same as the next.
- Do it, just jump in and go for it.
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Why Family Works?
Eleisha and Andrea chose Family Works because of the additional support that they receive from the agency and their social worker. They say, “The support we have gotten from our worker and the whole agency really have been wonderful. We have gotten such wonderful support”. They share that they can ask questions or share concerns with their social worker as they come up, even if it is into the evening or on a weekend and will get a prompt response. Family Works social workers are available 24/7 to ensure foster parents have additional support and resources when things come up.
Family Works Social Worker says:
“Eleisha and Andrea are wonderful foster parents, and a great resource to this agency. They are trauma informed and show great understanding to each individual child. Eleisha and Andrea work extremely well with other agencies and are flexible and compassionate towards biological parents. It is a pleasure working with them.” – Debbie, social worker
