Foster families from Butler and Ripley County were treated to an evening visiting with others who know the journey they are on thanks to the Resource Parent Appreciation Dinner.
"We are here to recognize what you mean for the children in this community," Missouri Children's Division Director Tim Decker said. "We need more people who do what you do."
The dinner, hosted by the Department of Social Services Children's Division, was held Tuesday evening at The Bread Shed to recognize and celebrate the nearly 80 foster families in the 36th judicial circuit.
"There are over 300 children in the circuit," Children's Service Supervisor Theresa Whaley said. "What's special about this area is the community is so involved."
Of the 80 foster families in the area, Whaley said about half of those are relative foster families who began by stepping up to help a child in their family.
"When a child is placed with a relative, the goal is to get the family licensed to receive the same benefits as a foster family," she said.
Decker compared the families in attendance to "the neighborhood" he lived in while growing up, taking responsibility for children in the community.
"I hope you make some new connections in this group because no one does it alone," he said. "It takes a village and community are all nice cliches, but you need people you can count on."
First and foremost, Decker said, parents are responsible for children, but when that doesn't work, the hope is extended family will step in with support from members the community.
"When everyone including the family, school, community and church steps in to assist and it doesn't work, it's necessary for an agency to step in and that can be complicated," Decker said. "That is something you never wish, but sometimes that is the only path and you guys are the group that makes that path okay and healthy for our kids."
As many have that one person in their family who serves as the "anchor," Decker told the foster families they were more than likely that person for the children they have taken into their homes.
"You in a lot of ways are the only remaining firewall for these kids that's keeping them from growing up in institutional settings or from moving from home to home repeatedly," he said.
When speaking with older children, Decker said he often reminds them of how far they have made it and asks what they credit.
"Almost always there has been someone who stepped forward for them in a moment when no one else was there," he said. "I suspect you have touched lives you have no idea you touched."
Whaley recognized Don and Odessa Collins, of Butler County, who have been fostering children, in particular teens, for 17 years.
Through their years of fostering, over 50 children have been placed with the Collins' family and they have adopted nine.
"Their first placement was with a 17-year-old young man with no other options," Whaley said. "They were very successful in being foster parents and stood by him over the years through a lot of ups and downs."
What makes the Collins' family unique is their dedication to working with birth families.
Whaley said even when reunification is no longer the goal, the couple continues to work with the birth family in an open and non-judgemental way.
Don said he decided to become a foster parent himself because he was a foster child who was adopted at the age of 8.
"I had an understanding of what these kids go through and how hard it can be on them," he said.
In addition to taking older youth in his home, Collins also added he likes to take siblings so they are not split apart.
"To see kids go back home and be successful or adopted by good people is what makes it all worth it," he said.
Jason Seter and his wife have been foster parents for almost five years.
"We originally wanted to adopt and when we took the foster classes we decided to give this a try too," Seter said.
The Seter's were able to fulfil their wish of adopting while serving other children in the area.
The couple has adopted four children and are working on officially adopting a fifth child, all while having nearly a dozen children in their home through the years.
"It was kind of a selfish thing because we got these wonderful kids we have always wanted, but also got to help other kids go back to families," Seter said.
If foster families work the program correctly and with the family, Seter said they will become part of the family by the time they are finished.
If interested in beginning the foster parenting classes, contact Whaley at theresa.whaley@dss.mo.gov or any licensing worker in the area.
"It ended up being a lot easier than we thought it would be," Seter said. "Kids make it easy."