After becoming a certified foster parent through Child & Family Services, Vicky was looking to give a loving home to older children. However, when she met Toby, 6 and James, 4 they had an immediate bond, and the young brothers moved in with Vicky in the summer of 2011. In August, just several weeks later, they went on their first-ever family vacation to Disney World. “Toby still remembers celebrating his birthday at Disney and talks about it when we look at pictures. He got to have cake and got birthday wishes from all the Disney characters – he was in heaven!” They also spent a day at the beach, which was the first time the boys saw the ocean.
Before Vicky opened her heart and home to Toby and James the brothers never had the chance to make memories that most children look back on fondly, like going to the playground, running errands with their parents and going on vacation. “Before they came to live with me, they didn’t go anywhere but to school. They hadn’t been to a supermarket, restaurant or department store. They didn’t know about Sesame Street or Barney, and James had never been on a swing,” explains Vicky.
Vicky strives to enrich Toby and James’ lives by giving them the chance to experience different opportunities they may have missed out on. This past summer, the family went to New York City where the boys made more life-long memories. “We went to the Guggenheim, Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of Natural History, and they absolutely loved it.”
Thanks to Vicky, and Child & Family Services’ Foster Care Program, Toby and James are thriving in their new home. “Watching them grow and develop is so rewarding. They’re learning, experiencing and making connections that they weren’t able to make before,” Vicky says. “The ability to affect someone’s life in a positive way makes you feel great, and I know they appreciate it because they tell me all the time. They smile all the time now too, and their caseworkers say they weren’t like that before.”