Prior to becoming foster parents, Larry and Samantha got involved with the Kinship Care Program at Family Services of NW PA to help a friend who was fostering. When the opportunity fell through, they decided to continue the training anyway and became foster parents themselves.
"We got involved with foster care through a friend of ours that fostered," said Samantha. "We initially started the process for kinship but that fell through, so we decided to go through the rest of the training."
Larry grew up poor and always wanted to give back. "I have eight sisters and two brothers, my dad was not very good, and my stepmom worked really hard, but she wasn't always around," said Larry. "Helping other kids and seeing where they come from reminds me of my childhood and I want to give them what I couldn't have myself. We are in a position here at our home that we can help, and we really enjoy doing that."
Both Larry and Samantha are grateful to the foster care team at Family Services of NW PA, and especially to their caseworker Chelsea. "Our caseworker is awesome," said Larry. "She is really on top of getting appointments and all the information we need."
Sam and Chelsea, the caseworker from Family Services of NW PA, work well together. "Chelsea comes into our house because she likes to be able to see the difference in the children from day one," said Samantha. "They do an amazing job at making sure we have all the right resources and everything."
Before getting married, Samantha never imagined being a foster parent. After going through the process, she now encourages others to get involved. "This has been one of the most humbling experiences I could ever go through," said Samantha. "I love these kids like they are my own."
