Life as Foster Parents: The Campbell's Story
As treatment foster care parents for the Board of Child Care, Marie and Robert Campbell say they thrive on the ability to help children who most need them – older youth who carry painful experiences of abuse and neglect with them and struggle to find stability.
“I feel like I can give more to them than to an infant,” says Marie Campbell. “Just because someone has cast them aside doesn’t mean there is something wrong. They are just waiting for the right person to come along.”
Twenty-one year-old Cindy* says the Campbells were the life-line she needed when she arrived in their home at age 18 and the responsibilities of adulthood loomed large. Diagnosed as bipolar and mildly mentally retarded, Cindy knew nothing about money or household management. The Campbells worked to give her these skills, find employment, use the public transportation system and pay for an apartment.
“No other person took the time to do that for me,” says Cindy, who calls the Campbells “Mom” and “Dad” and visits them every weekend. “I thank God I have them. They are the best parents I ever had.”
The Campbells manage to make time for foster parenting despite already having a very full life. Mr. Campbell is a pastor at a local church and Ms. Campbell runs the church daycare, in addition to working full-time for a state call center. Between the two of them, they have 10 grown children from previous relationships. But Foster parenting keeps them youthful and active, they say.
Ms. Campbell adds that she can relate to the foster children because she was homeless at one point in her life. She feels she has walked in their shoes, and can now give something back to them.
Eighteen-year-old Matt* currently lives with the Campbells in their Randallstown-area home. Even though he was well into his teens when he came to live with them, he was given few nurturing experiences growing up. The Campbells have enjoyed introducing him to new things, including giving him a birthday party for the first time in his life, taking him to amusement parks and Lexington Market, going out for an ice cream sundae, and giving him new pajamas and an iPod for Christmas.
“Since he’s been here he’s been a very manageable child. He’s been very respectful of us,” Marie Campbell says.
Robert Campbell says the children are always welcomed into their home as family, but in return they have to abide by their rules – go to school and go to church. Once the children earn Marie and Robert’s trust, they are given a key to the house.
As long as the kids maintain that trust and follow the rules, says Mr. Campbell, then the only thing left to do "is try and show them love. I think all the kids just need someone to listen to them.”
* Name changed to protect identity
Learn more about our Treatment Foster Care Program.
