My kids live as a family, and they know what each other needs.

I foster special needs children – children with emotional, mental, and physical disabilities. That’s what I’m good at. It’s why God put me here, I believe. I’ve had almost 30 children in my home since I began foster parenting 26 years ago. A lot of my kids come and stay long-term. My first child came to live with me when she was 12. She’s still with me and is now 38. I have six adoptive children and two foster children right now, so I have eight children in my home. To be a good foster parent, you have to be patient, consistent, and unconditionally love everybody. There are days when my patience is tried, and I call in the extras and say, “Okay, I need a break.” I’m a single parent trained as a physical therapist, and I have built a good support system. The people at Family & Children Services have been wonderful for us. They come right away when I call. Their counselors helped one of my kids deal with anger she had for being abused before coming to me. They help us get equipment we couldn’t otherwise get and they’re so family friendly. Their financial support and staff support have been wonderful. I bring my family to Any Bodies Playground and everybody can play — it’s wonderful. My wheelchair kids can get around. My larger children, who are still children, can slide down the slides and nobody looks at us funny. I have two of my kids with me today. Josh didn’t walk or talk when he came to me at age 3. I was told he was severely mentally impaired, had severe cerebral palsy, was totally deaf, and had to be tube fed. And now we have Joshua the teenager who communicates with a sophisticated device, walks everywhere, and volunteers at the Food Bank. He’s totally independent, he’s smart, and we know it now. Ashley is my adoptive daughter. She was six when she came to live with me; she is now 18. At first she didn’t like people, and she hid in closets. You couldn’t touch her. She came from an abusive home and had been placed in a nursing home. She’s learned to love us, and we love her. We’ve learned to tolerate some of the things we’re just not going to change in her. She won’t eat, for instance, so she has a feeding tube. My kids live as a family, they grow up as a family, and they know what each other needs. Without my faith, I could not do what I do. Without the support of all the agencies and all my respite helpers, I couldn’t do what I do. It’s not a sacrifice for me. I love it.

— Kay Butler

 © 2008 NEW MEDIA BREW, Inc. All rights reserved.