There are more than 400,000 children in foster care on any given day in
the United States. In Allegheny County alone, there are approximately
1,300 children and teens placed out-of-home at any one time. While it may
seem like an impossible problem to tackle, the truth is, one willing heart
can help provide each child in need with love, safety, and a home. As the
largest non-kinship Foster Care program in Allegheny County, Auberle
works to connect children and youth with families with one thing in
common – a loving heart.
At Auberle, we understand the love, time, and commitment it takes to care
for a child. Our foster parents are champions who make sacrifices to
provide hope and security for children and youth in need, and we believe
there is no one foster family alike. We embrace the uniqueness of all
families as we embrace the differences of all the children and youth we
serve.
For former Auberle foster parent, Bekah, caring for children came naturally
as she has been a teacher for many years. At the age of 45, Bekah had
hoped to have children of her own, but believed she could still open her
heart to care for children in need of a home. After learning about the foster
program at Auberle through former coworkers, Bekah was eager to begin
her journey as a foster parent herself and became certified in February of
2019.
At the beginning of March, Bekah was excited to welcome a 16-month-old
baby boy to her home, and cared for him for three months until he was
reunited with his father.
Shortly after, Bekah received a call to assist with providing temporary
respite care to twins being cared for by a friend. Excited to help, Bekah
opened her home again and began caring for the pair. Bekah was
dedicated to ensuring the children maintained a relationship with their
birth family and continued to participate in Auberle foster parent support
groups, communicated regularly with their grandparents, and ensured
they attended scheduled visits with their birth mother.
As their story continues, Bekah’s love for the twins has carried them to
permanency. She is honored to play such an important role in their lives as
she feels they have also changed her life forever expressing, “they are the
most amazing babies.”