Foster Parents Foster Love

Rosaearl Davidge caressed her 4-month-old foster daughter, a baby whose birth mother abused alcohol and drugs, and thought about what it is like to need a loving parent.

A former foster child herself, Davidge, now 70, has been a foster parent for almost half a century.

Nearby in Granada Hills, Rita Prechtl drew giggles from her latest family member, an 8-month-old baby also born to a drug-abusing mother.

The 66-year-old Prechtl has been a foster parent for 30 years.

The two San Fernando Valley homemakers, with help from their families, are among a vital group of foster parents who have dedicated virtually their entire adult lives to loving other people’s children.

“It’s so great to make into little human beings children who have been mistreated,” Davidge said.

Normally, the caring goes without public praise. But next week, Davidge and 74 other foster parents will be honored by a private organization in Los Angeles as part of Foster Parent Appreciation Month.

Prechtl, who recently was honored by another private organization, said the awards are a pleasant bonus to the feelings that come from the children themselves.

“You know you’re doing something good when you see them smiling,” she said.

The two women--who have also raised their own children--represent the better side of a foster care system often criticized when tales of abuse and other unflattering episodes surface, said Amaryllis Watkins, acting director of the bureau of resources for the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services.

Authorities cannot deny there have been cases where foster parents hurt children or exploited the system, but far more do what is right, they said.

“In the reality of life, there are people that do it [for the money],” Watkins said. “Most parents who do it long-term do it because they honestly love children.”

Foster parents are certified to care for children through the county or private organizations. Certification includes passing criminal background checks, as well as an array of classes on basic first aid, CPR and parenting, among other subjects.

County officials said some prospective foster parents start their certification process but drop out when they learn of the commitment required.

The county reimburses foster parents for expenses such as food and clothing. The compensation for their work varies depending on the age of the child and type of care required.

A typical compensation for an infant, for instance, is about $350 a month.

However, parents who take care of children with medical conditions and require special care may get as much as $1,200 a month.

Medical care and special services are typically paid for through public funds.

Largely unseen by the public, due at least in part to the secrecy of the foster care system, is the work of foster parents who quietly nurse back to health abused children, acting as crucial links in the lives of little ones en route to successful adoptions or family reunifications.

County officials said the system always needs more foster parents. There are about 70,000 children in the county’s care.

Some children are housed with the county’s 9,000 foster parents. Others live in group homes or are released to relatives other than their parents.

The system places a premium on foster families. Many of them tackle some of the worst cases in the foster care system, such as sexual and physical abuse, as well as HIV infection and drug addiction.

“There’s probably fewer parents that continue to stay in the field because of the types of problems these children can exhibit,” said Jerry Zaslaw, chief executive officer of Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services, the private agency honoring Davidge and the others.

The challenges, joys and heartbreaks of foster parenting have repeated themselves at the Prechtl and Davidge homes.

Prechtl first considered foster parenting when she was 36. Her youngest son was in school and she spent her days in a house empty of the sounds of a young child.

Her first foster child was Kevin, who was just a few months old. He was adopted away from her quickly, giving her an early taste of the pain she would feel many times over the years as she said her goodbyes.

Next was Mark. Then Julie. And Glen. All together, 68 foster children came and went.

Prechtl eventually adopted one of the children. He is now a grown man with his own family out of state.

These days, with husband Bob, 70, a retired meat-cutter, she cares for 8-month-old Alex, whose fate is unclear as his mother tries to rehabilitate herself.

And there is Jonathan, a 12-year-old the Prechtls have cared for since he was only a few months old. Two years ago the boy told a judge he did not want to be adopted anymore.

“I said I wanted to stay with my [foster] parents,” says Jonathan, an energetic Boy Scout who loves art. “She [the judge] said ‘fine.’ ”

The Prechtls also raised a foster daughter from infancy until she was 19.

“They took such good care of me,” said Missy, now 24, who lives at a group home. “If I went to another foster home, I don’t know how my life would be.”

But heartache is also very much a part of foster parenting.

For Davidge, there was Johnny, who had a blood disease. She adopted and loved the boy, who died at age 8.

“It tore my heart out,” Davidge said.

She keeps a picture of him in the living room.

Davidge also cared for two baby girls, Barbie and Jackie, who had been found stuffed in a closet. After a few years, their grandparents from Ohio came for them.

Along the way, Davidge adopted two foster children.

One of them, Samantha, 33, is married now, living in Santa Clarita and working in social services.

The other, Jeff, 16, an honor student at Kennedy High School in Granada Hills, said he hopes to become a psychiatrist to help prevent child abuse.

“There’s no place I’d rather be,” said Jeff about his life with Davidge.

Davidge also cares for Keri, the 4-month-old, and her half-sister, Danni, a 2-year-old. Their mother has come to see them only twice in the four months Davidge has had the children, Davidge said.

So for Davidge, as for Prechtl, and their families, foster parenting has in some ways brought a lifelong award that figures to last even longer.

“Why stop?” said Prechtl, who just a year ago won a bout with breast cancer. “When I went to the hospital to get Alex, I felt just as excited and silly as I did when I got my first baby.”

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The Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services continually searches for adults willing to be foster parents. Information on becoming a foster parent is available by calling the county’s adoption and foster-parent information line at (888) 811-1121.