513 Days in Foster Care, 1 Year of Adoption, Hundreds of baby diapers
It's National Foster Care Month, and we want to start off this time of foster awareness with a beautiful story from the Marcello family.
March 4, 2021 marked one year since Melissa Marcello and her husband, Matthew, adopted Genesis (Genny) after serving as her foster parents for 513 days. The average time a child spends in foster care is at least two years - 730 days. Melissa considers Genny one of the lucky ones.
Melissa will tell you that the opportunity and request to foster Genny came quickly. Genny was an infant and Melissa had another toddler at home. She wanted time to prepare her daughter and she needed essential items like a crib, car seat, and additional funds to support extracurricular activities for now two children...fast.
In short, Melissa felt unprepared to foster and yet she knew this was the right path, particularly as a person who grew up in foster care herself where she was separated from her siblings.
Melissa shares, "It was the scariest thing I ever did," and yet from the day Genny was born, "I felt a strong connection to her." Foster Forward was able to support this transition for the Marcello family, getting her a crib, car seat, and funds to support activities that would improve Genny's physical growth and development.
To commemorate the story and celebration of Genny's adoption, Melissa organized a drive for the Foster Forward community and families that we serve. In a letter to her friends and family, she requested toiletries, hygiene products, and infant goods and WOW did her community deliver! In our offices, we now have:
Hundreds of diapers, ranging in sizes from Newborn to Size 3
Several boxes + packages of baby wipes
Sippy cups and wash cloths
Deodorant, body wash, soap, toothpaste and
Baby formula (see the pictures below!)
Socks, underwear, and bralettes
Melissa says that her family is establishing a tradition on Genny's Adoption Day: They will have a cake with three candles on it. Why? One candle for Genny's growth, one for their family, and one for her birth parents. Incredible, right?
Thank you, Melissa, for your outpouring of generosity, for organizing this drive, for your unwavering commitment to support foster youth and adoption, and for your ability to really see foster youth. Melissa shares, "We want them [foster youth] to know that we care." What better way to start Foster Care Month than with this story?
Warmly,
Lisa Guillette
Executive Director
P.S. Did you know that there are over 2,000 foster children and youth in Rhode Island, according to the latest data from the Kids COUNT Factbook? Or that there are over 437,000 children in foster care in the United States? There are literally thousands of children and families who need support, resources, and guidance during their years in foster care. You can explore this website for more information and statistics.
