Arnold honored as Foster Parent of the Year during appreciation dinner

Amazing was one way Nancy Arnold was described Monday evening. The Ellsinore resident was named Foster Parent of the Year at the 2019 Foster Parent Appreciation dinner at the Elks Lodge in Poplar Bluff but was unable to attend to receive her honor.

Others were willing to share their thoughts about the retired nurse who has been a foster mother to more than 47 children, as well as the one she adopted.

Arnold

“Nancy is a fantastic foster parent,” said Laura Schultz, who works in the children’s division directly with foster children.

“She has had a couple of my case load who were pretty high maintenance.”

Describing Arnold as “pretty calm and knowledgeable about how children react to trauma,” Schultz recalled, “one time she had a sibling group of four delivered to her at 3 a.m. She is very willing to do what it takes to take care of children. She is good with children with behavior problems and calming them down. She works well with the schools, doctors, families and visiting between parents.”

Associate Circuit Judge C. Wade Pierce speaks during the Foster Parent Appreciation dinner Monday night at the Elks Lodge. DAR/Barbara Ann Horton

Keynote speaker Associate Circuit Judge C. Wade Pierce of Poplar Bluff praised the foster parents by saying “it is important what you are doing.”

Pierce told the group before becoming a judge, he had served as a guardian ad litem, but “I have learned a lot” since becoming a judge.

In preparing his presentation, Pierce said he studied the word foster. He learned it means “to promote something that is good, encourage, advance, nurture.

Jeremy and Stephanie Czerwonka of Poplar Bluff have six children of their own ranging in ages 10 to 16, but they decided to become foster parents because there is a need and they love kids. They were among a group of foster parents honored Monday night. DAR/Barbara Ann Horton

“On any given day in the United States more than 400,000 children are living in the foster care and each year more than 600,000 will experience foster care,” Pierce added. “They range in age from newborn to 21 years old and on average will remain in foster care for nearly two years. Through April 19, 113,708 children in Missouri were in foster care and 297 of them were in the 36th Circuit.

“All those are what you do,” Pierce said. “We are not unsympathetic to you. We are not unmindful of your time. Please remember we are doing the best we can.”

Pierce also told the foster parents it is important to him what the foster parents have to say.

Brooke and TJ Woodard have been foster parents four years to a teenager. They were among a group of foster parents honored Monday night. DAR/Barbara Ann Horton

“Thank you for your time. God bless you,” Pierce said.

Theresa Whaley of the Children’s Division told the group, “we are here to honor all of you who are foster parents.”

She challenged them to get to know each other and create a support system and “draw from each other.”

The Elks donated the location and the food for the event.