CANADA
Student essays highlight importance of foster families
A pair of award winners in a provincial writing contest learned a thing or two about foster families and the children they help.
Catherine Reynolds and Chelsea Alexander of Immaculate Heart of Mary were placed first and second respectively in the Newfoundland and Labrador Foster Families Association annual writing and drawing contest in the Grade 7-9 category. “I was excited (about winning),” Reynolds, a Grade 7 student, told The Western Star. “I learned some of the reasons why a child has to go to foster families.”
“Yeah,” Alexander, a Grade 9 student, said that was her reaction. “I learned that it is not always the parents fault why the child has to go to a foster family.”
Both students wrote essays about the topic, what is a foster family and why is it necessary? Reynolds received a plaque, a certificate and a monetary award; while Alexander received a certificate and a monetary award.
Albert and Linda Buckle, foster parents from Corner Brook, were on hand to present the students with their award Monday. Linda said the essays summed up the experience very well. “I have to say their essays were excellent,” she said. “If Albert and I had to write about it, we would say exactly what they said. It was an excellent perception of what we do.”
Donna Alexander, the school’s director of education, said the school population from Grades 2-9 got involved in the contest, which was held during Foster Families Week from Oct. 19-25. “Being a Catholic school, we felt it was very important to get our students involved in this sort of contest,” she said. “...I think it is important to make the young people today aware of other children’s situations — that not every child out there is as fortunate as these two children are here.”
Meanwhile, the Buckles have been offering their home and attention to foster children for more than five years. Linda said they don’t have grandchildren so being foster parents is a way for the couple to devote their time to helping youth. “It has worked out excellent,” she said. “There are rough times, when you have children with a lot of problems, but we have had kids with no problems. We just do our best at it.”
“The goal of the program is to have the children eventually reunited with their own parents and, in a number of cases with the children we have had, that has happened,” Albert added. “When they do go back to their parents that is really nice.”
The Foster Families Association holds the annual drawing and writing contest in the province to continue to create a better understanding and awareness of foster care in the community.
Corey Hurley
28 October 2008
