“Be not afraid!”
It’s a phrase used often in Scripture. Jesus said it to his disciples when He approached them walking on water. It’s associated with every appearance of an angel in the Old and New Testaments. It also was used often by Pope St. John Paul II.
It’s the same message Stephanie Baird and a ministry with which she is associated, Springs of Love, have for prospective foster parents.
Baird has been a foster parent of four children for extended periods, has adopted one of them and was scheduled to complete the adoption process for a second on Thursday, Jan. 8. She has been involved with Springs of Love for several years and is starting a chapter of the organization at her parish, Columbus Immaculate Conception.
“I’ve talked to many couples about fostering and there’s understandably a lot of concern about the process because it’s not simple and there can be a lot of barriers to overcome,” Baird said. “Springs of Love helps people discern not to be afraid of the process and helps them feel more comfortable with the whole idea.
“I’m not sure that I’ve helped any other couples become foster parents, but I’ve heard indications that this is what happened in a couple of cases. I also know of many people who have at least been inspired to do more about looking into being foster parents through Springs of Love.
“The familiar saying is that ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ and I’ve certainly found that to be true in our own case. Being a foster parent has impacted a whole community of people who have been involved with my foster daughter Gianna and Ray, who is about to become my foster son.
“They’ve followed the paths of all the children I’ve had in foster care to see where those paths have led. The result has been a lot of unexpected joy for us and for them because we’ve been willing to see where the journey takes us.”
Baird; her husband, Joe; their 21- and 18-year-old sons and their 15-year-old daughter all have been actively involved in the lives of 5-year-old Gianna, 3-year-old Ray and the other children for whom the family has cared.
“This has helped the older children understand the struggles so many families face,” she said. “And it’s brought so many blessings to our family. It’s opened our hearts to help many people who need hope. I just hope they feel some sort of impact from our care.”
Besides the four children the Bairds have hosted for extended periods, they’ve cared for several others for two days to two weeks or more to give other foster parents a respite.
Baird said she became a foster parent through her work as a labor and delivery nurse. She now is a care coordinator in a clinic for pregnant young women at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
“I’d see what would happen to children born to mothers addicted to drugs and knew they probably would go into foster care while their mothers were in rehabilitation,” she said. “The moms in many of those cases don’t make it through rehab, so they can get their children back.
“I was involved in pro-life activities and realized being a foster parent would be a way to put my pro-life beliefs into action, to practice what I’ve been preaching.”
She said her husband had doubts about the idea but got on board after attending a training class with her and seeing a documentary about foster care.
Both took classes to become foster parents at the Bair Foundation in suburban Dayton. They also completed a home study, submitted references and background checks, had their home inspected for fire hazards and other safety issues and went through 24 hours of pre-placement training.
Their first placement was a boy named Deon, who stayed with them for a year before being adopted by a member of his family. They have stayed in touch with the adoptive mother and are Deon’s godparents.
He was baptized at the same time as Gianna, whom they adopted at birth and is now in preschool. “She’s smart, energetic, is meeting all her growth goals and will be playing soccer in the fall. And she loves Ray,” Baird said.
“Ray’s a great little guy who has thrived under our care,” she said. “There was one point where I thought he was going to be removed and placed with a different family, but that decision was reversed. I can’t explain why that change happened, but it came on the day of my mother-in-law’s death, so maybe it’s a sign.
“Many prayers have been said on his behalf. Through our involvement in foster care, I’ve seen what I consider to be many miracles occurring through families being strengthened and friendships being made.”
On its website, Springs of Love, the organization the Bairds are starting at Immaculate Conception, describes its mission as “to rise up more Catholic foster and adoptive families and to support those touched by fostering and adoption through educational programming, small groups and parish care teams.”
It’s based in Mount Vernon and was founded by foster and adoptive parents Greg and Kimberly Henkel of Mount Vernon St. Vincent de Paul Church. It’s a sister organization of Springs in the Desert, an apostolate that accompanies parents struggling with infertility. The two combine to raise awareness of the need for loving families for the more than 400,000 children in foster care and countless children in need around the world.
Critical to the mission of Springs of Love is establishing care teams in parishes who will provide for the material needs of children in care, offer wrap-around support to foster families (including prayer, meals, child care, rides and mentoring), host foster and adoption awareness events and inspire more Catholics to consider fostering and adopting. According to Springs of Love, the 50 percent retention rate for fostering families increases to 90 percent when they are supported by a care team.
In April, Baird said she will be presenting a Springs of Love video series titled “Building and Belonging” at Immaculate Conception. The series will highlight stories of those who have been in the foster care system and of those who find joy, even amid pain, through fostering and adopting.
She said the videos are in the Augustine Institute’s Formed series, which many parishes offer to their members, and have been seen on EWTN television. Baird also has done a podcast on foster parenting for Ohio Right to Life.
Springs of Love also has supported foster families by providing them with gift cards and household items and is planning a documentary on foster care and adoption.
For more on the organization, go to www.springsoflove.org.
