Social Services and Val Peterson host a foster luncheon
With almost 200 children in foster care, Boulder County Social Services is looking for foster and foster-to-adopt parents.
Dozens of prospective parents came to CU on Wednesday for an informational open house and luncheon. Speaking to a crowded room, Val Peterson, the wife of Chancellor G.P. “Bud” Peterson, spoke about their joint experience fostering before moving to Colorado. In 11 years of fostering, the couple cared for nine children in addition to four of their own.
“Now that we don’t have any children at home, I look back and wonder how we did it,” Peterson said in a CU press release. “We had six kids at home and they were all in scouts and all in soccer or other sports. The best thing is I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything.”
The luncheon was also joined by former foster children Teresa Chamberland, Barbara Monday and Melanie Carnahan. Sharing their experiences, they evoked emotion from their audience.
Carnahan spoke of the love that she found within her families, from new clothes to a lavender bedroom.
Monday, on the other hand, drew tears as she cited instances of abuse and neglect in her past, which she said parallels the story of so many other foster children.
Current foster parents, social workers and former foster children answered questions and responded to concerns with their own stories and experiences. Needing help, they asked for foster parents, foster-to-adopt parents and general volunteers.
“Your ability to change a life doesn’t rest in whether you are a foster parent or an adoptive parent,” Monday said.
In foster parenting, the ultimate goal is to keep a child safe until they are ready to be returned to their parents. However, fostering to adopt is taking care of a child with the intent of child adoption. Boulder County is searching for parents to fill both needs. If you are planning to adopt a child, you may consider consulting an adoption agency for legal procedures to follow.
In addition to foster recruitment, the luncheon served to unveil the new Guardian Scholars Program at CU. The Program will provide scholarship aid to foster children bound for CU.
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Danielle Alberti at Alberti@colorado.edu.
