-);<-:67:-/768):-6<)XZQT
Sharing the joys and heartache of foster parenting
By REBECCA CASWELL
dŽŶŝŐŚƚŝŶKƌĞŐŽŶ͕ĂƉƉƌŽdžŝŵĂƚĞ-
ůLJϴ͕ϬϬϬĐŚŝůĚƌĞŶĨĂůůĂƐůĞĞƉŝŶĂĨŽƐ-
ƚĞƌŚŽŵĞ͘ĞƌƟĮĞĚĨŽƐƚĞƌƉĂƌĞŶƚƐ
ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞĂƌĞĨƵŐĞͶŝŶƚŚĞŝƌŚŽŵĞƐ
ĂŶĚŝŶƚŚĞŝƌŚĞĂƌƚƐͶĨŽƌĐŚŝůĚƌĞŶ
ǁŚĞŶƚŚĞLJŶĞĞĚŝƚƚŚĞŵŽƐƚ͘
&ŽƐƚĞƌĐĂƌĞŝƐĂƚĞŵƉŽƌĂƌLJůŝǀŝŶŐ
ĂƌƌĂŶŐĞŵĞŶƚĨŽƌĐŚŝůĚƌĞŶǁŚŽƐĞ
ƉĂƌĞŶƚƐŽƌŐƵĂƌĚŝĂŶƐĐĂŶŶŽůŽŶŐĞƌ
ƐĂĨĞůLJƚĂŬĞĐĂƌĞŽĨƚŚĞŵ͘dŚĞĨŽƐƚĞƌ
ƉĂƌĞŶƚƉƌŽǀŝĚĞƐĨƵůůͲƟŵĞĐĂƌĞĨŽƌ
ƚŚĞĐŚŝůĚĂŶĚǁŽƌŬƐǁŝƚŚĂƚĞĂŵŽĨ
ƐŽĐŝĂůǁŽƌŬĞƌƐ͕ƚŚĞƌĂƉŝƐƚƐ͕ƚĞĂĐŚĞƌƐ
ĂŶĚĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJƉĂƌƚŶĞƌƐ͘
&ŽƐƚĞƌĐŚŝůĚƌĞŶ͕ĨƌŽŵŝŶĨĂŶƚƐƚŽ
LJŽƵŶŐĂĚƵůƚƐ͕ĂƌƌŝǀĞĨƌŽŵĂǀĂƌŝĞƚLJ
ŽĨďĂĐŬŐƌŽƵŶĚƐĂŶĚĞĂĐŚĐŽŵĞƐ
ǁŝƚŚĂƵŶŝƋƵĞƐĞƚŽĨƉŽƚĞŶƟĂůĂŶĚ
ĐŚĂůůĞŶŐĞƐ͘,ŽŵĞƐŽƉĞŶƚŽƐŝďůŝŶŐ
ŐƌŽƵƉƐĂƌĞŝŶŚŝŐŚĚĞŵĂŶĚ͘hŵĂ-
ƟůůĂŽƵŶƚLJ͛ƐŐƌĞĂƚĞƐƚŶĞĞĚŝƐƉůĂĐĞ-
ŵĞŶƚĨŽƌďŽLJƐĂƌŽƵŶĚĂŐĞϭϯ͘
͞ůůĞŶ͟ŝƐĂhŵĂƟůůĂŽƵŶƚLJ
ĨŽƐƚĞƌŵŽŵ͕ǁŚŽŐƵĂƌĚƐƚŚĞƉƌŝ-
vacy of her wards. People decide
ƚŽďĞĨŽƐƚĞƌƉĂƌĞŶƚƐĨŽƌĂǀĂƌŝĞƚLJŽĨ
ƌĞĂƐŽŶƐ͕ƐŚĞŶŽƚĞƐ͕ďƵƚ
ŵŽƐƚƐŚĂƌĞŽŶĞĐŽŵ-
ŵŽŶĂůŝƚLJͶƚŚĞLJǀŝĞǁ
ĨŽƐƚĞƌƉĂƌĞŶƟŶŐĂƐĂ
ĐĂůůŝŶŐ͘͞dŚĞƌĞ͛ƐŶŽƚŚ-
ŝŶŐĐŽŶǀĞŶŝĞŶƚĂďŽƵƚ
it. We felt called into it.
We needed to do it.”
What traits are cru-
ĐŝĂůĨŽƌƉŽƚĞŶƟĂůĨŽƐƚĞƌ
ƉĂƌĞŶƚƐ͍ĐĐŽƌĚŝŶŐƚŽ
ƚŚĞKƌĞŐŽŶĞƉĂƌƚ-
ŵĞŶƚŽĨ,ƵŵĂŶ^Ğƌ-
ǀŝĐĞƐ͗ƉĂƟĞŶĐĞ͕ĂƐĞŶƐĞ
ŽĨŚƵŵŽƌ͕ĐŽŵƉĂƐƐŝŽŶ͕
ŽƉĞŶͲŵŝŶĚĞĚŶĞƐƐĂŶĚƚŚĞĂďŝůŝƚLJƚŽ
ƌĞĂĐŚŽƵƚ͘&ŽƐƚĞƌƉĂƌĞŶƚƐƌĞĐŽŐŶŝnjĞ
ƚŚĞŝŵƉŽƌƚĂŶĐĞŽĨĨĂŵŝůLJĂŶĚŚĂǀĞ
ĂĚĞƐŝƌĞƚŽŚĞůƉŬŝĚƐƐƚĂLJŝŶƚŚĞŝƌ
ŽǁŶŶĞŝŐŚďŽƌŚŽŽĚĂŶĚĐŽŵŵƵŶŝ-
ƟĞƐ͘
Providing dynamic,
progressive and diverse
supports to improve the
well-being of our
communities.
Serving Morrow, Wheeler, Gilliam, and Grant Counties
Community Counseling Solutions offers
a wide variety of behavioral health services
• Individual, family, and group therapy
• Alcohol and drug treatment
• 24/7 crisis intervention services
• Psychiatric consultation
• Medication management
• Case management for developmental disabilities
• Our Path International (Professional Association of Therapeutic
Horsemanship) certified Equine Assisted Activities and Therapy
program at Lakeview Heights
• David Romprey Oregon Warmline. Any resident of Oregon may call the
toll-free number to receive confidential support from trained peers.
1-800-698-2392
dŚĞĞŶĚŐŽĂůŽĨƚŚĞƐƚĂƚĞŝƐ
ƌĞƵŶŝĮĐĂƟŽŶŽĨƚŚĞƉĂƌĞŶƚĂŶĚ
ƚŚĞĐŚŝůĚ͕ŝĨƉŽƐƐŝďůĞ͘dŽƚŚŝƐĞŶĚ͕
ƐƵƉĞƌǀŝƐĞĚǀŝƐŝƚƐďĞƚǁĞĞŶƚŚĞĐŚŝůĚ
ĂŶĚƚŚĞďŝŽůŽŐŝĐĂůƉĂƌĞŶƚĂƌĞƐĞƚƵƉ
ŽŶĂĐĂƐĞͲďLJͲĐĂƐĞďĂƐŝƐ͘WƌŽŵŽƚ-
ŝŶŐĂďŽŶĚďĞƚǁĞĞŶƉĂƌĞŶƚ
and child can put everyone at
ĞĂƐĞ͘&ŽƐƚĞƌƉĂƌĞŶƚƐĐĂŶŚĞůƉ
ƚŚĞĐŚŝůĚǁŽƌŬŽŶƐŽŵĞƚŚŝŶŐ
;ĂƉŝĐƚƵƌĞŽƌŽƚŚĞƌĐƌĂŌͿƚŽ
ďƌŝŶŐƚŽƚŚĞƐĞǀŝƐŝƚƐ͘ƐŬLJŽƵƌ-
ƐĞůĨ͕ŝĨŵLJĐŚŝůĚǁĞƌĞŝŶĨŽƐƚĞƌ
care, what would I want to
ŬŶŽǁĂďŽƵƚƚŚĞĨŽƐƚĞƌĨĂŵŝůLJ͍
dŚĞƉĂƚŚƚŽďĞĐŽŵŝŶŐĂ
ĐĞƌƟĮĞĚĨŽƐƚĞƌƉĂƌĞŶƚƚĂŬĞƐ
ĂďŽƵƚƚǁŽŵŽŶƚŚƐ͕ŝƐĨĂŝƌůLJ
ƐƚƌĂŝŐŚƞŽƌǁĂƌĚĂŶĚŝŶĐůƵĚĞƐĂ
&ŽƵŶĚĂƟŽŶƐdƌĂŝŶŝŶŐĐŽƵƌƐĞ͕
ĂŶĂƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶ͕ĂďĂĐŬŐƌŽƵŶĚ
North Morrow County
Boardman Office
P.O. Box 261
104 SW Kinkade Avenue
Boardman, OR 97818
Ph: (541) 481-2911
Fax: (541) 481-2006
South Morrow County
Heppner Office
P.O. Box 469
120 South Main Street
Heppner, OR 97836
Ph: (541) 676-9161
Fax: (541) 676-5662
South Morrow County
Lakeview Heights
Secure Residential
Treatment Facility
68982 Willow Creek Road
Heppner, OR 97836
Ph: (541) 676-5143
communitycounselingsolutions.org