Featured Family: Sheila
Meet Family Works foster parent Sheila. Sheila has been doing foster care with Family Works for roughly 3 years. Sheila was involved with the foster care system prior to coming to Family Works but started her journey with our agency in August 2021.
Getting Started
Sheila had a wealth of experience prior to getting her foster care license. Sheila provided respite care for friends and family for 18 years before deciding to get licensed with Family Works. After providing respite care for 18 years, Sheila made the decision to get her foster care license and take on full-time placement of a child.
Sheila has five of her own children that are now adults. Sheila has had one long term placement throughout her time with Family Work and continues to do respite as able.
Family Lifestyle
Sheila and her family loves to stay active and spend time outdoors. They love to do activities such as fishing, swimming, boating, kayaking, tubing, camping, and riding four wheelers. Sheila shares that her children love to ski and that she enjoys watching them participate in this activity.
What Keeps Her Going?
Sheila enjoys being involved in the foster care system because she likes to make a difference in the lives of the children. “Making a difference in someone’s life is rewarding to me, whether it is respite or a full- time placement.” “Bringing children into your home and sharing your life with them and giving them some positive impact is very rewarding”. Sheila also enjoys having children in the home. Sheila states, “I have five of my own children that are all grown up now and it doesn’t seem right not to have children in the house”.
Sheila notes that she enjoys providing positive memories for foster children and enjoys seeing them smile and be happy. Sheila notes that doing foster care has been an awesome experience for her.
Words of Advice
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- Most of these children have had a rough life, you must be more patient and understanding.
- You must learn when to give an inch and when to be strict with your rules and boundaries.
- Take lots of photos. Sheila notes that when her long-term foster child left the home, she gave the child a whole photo album of memories to take with them.
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Family Works Social Worker says:
“Sheila is a great resource for this agency and a wonderful foster parent. She has been licensed with us for three years now and she is dedicated & compassionate to children that she cares for. Sheila is trauma informed and shows great understanding to each child’s needs. Sheila works extremely well with other agencies and biological parents. It is a pleasure working with her.” – Debbie Stanger
