2021 DPSS Annual Report Online_FINAL

Annual Report 2020/2021

Children’s Services

Joseph & Maricela Joseph and Maricela never imagined becoming foster parents. That changed one night when they got an unexpected knock on their door.

they kept the two-hour weekly visits with both parents and the lines of communication open. “We supported them in any way we could so they could reunify as soon as possible,” Maricela says. Now that the youngest child has returned home to her parents and siblings, the couple say their nest feels empty. “We miss her, but we know it is best for her,” said Maricela. On a recent afternoon Maricela was taking out some toys for a weekend visit with the child. “Luckily,” she says, “this story has a happy ending.”

Three young relatives needed a place to stay while their parents sorted things out. Joseph and Maricela immediately fulfilled the requirements to provide out-of-home care for the sisters. “We started to buy peanut butter in bulk,” Joseph recalls. Maricela and Joseph cared for the youngest of the sisters for 18 months. In that time, the couple said

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