Jennifer DeLeeuw has been a foster parent to four children, and she admits being any kind of parent is no easy feat.
"It's been exciting and challenging at some times but very rewarding in the end," DeLeeuw said. "We get to help children who need a home, and we have a home to give and love to give, so it's a very rewarding experience."
And that's why she recommends it, and says anyone who is interested should contact the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services at 1-800-MICH KIDS or at its foster care web page.
"You can talk to the parents, ask questions, see if it's something that you're really interested in doing, something that's right for you," DeLeeuw said.
There are 13,000 children in foster care in Michigan and 800 of them live in Ingham, Eaton, and Clinton Counties.
"The need for foster homes is very, very high," DeLeeuw said.
The MDHHS says it needs families that are ready and willing to take in a child because sometimes kids are removed from homes suddenly and need a place to stay, and it helps to have those homes be in the child's own community.
"Where children can remain close to home, go to the same schools, be around their relatives," Bob Wheaton, of MDHHS, said. "That's all very important to keep some stability in their lives while they're dealing with a traumatic situation."
Deleeuw says stereotypes about foster kids being trouble makers or rule breakers aren't accurate.
"They're not bad kids, they come from rough situations, sometimes bad homes, and I think that tends to reflect on the children, and that shouldn't be the case," she said.
MDHHS says a majority of its foster children just need a temporary home while the state works with the family to make it safe for the child to return home.
