Meet Ms. Barbara Wade! Take a moment a read her story and what inspired her to become a foster parent.

"As a child, my biological mother had me at the age of 14 in an all girls reformed school and I was put in foster care. At the age of 3, I remember my foster mom taking me to the park for visitation and my biological mother brought gifts for me and the one gift was a toy white sewing machine.

There came a time when I was reunified with her and the trouble started. I was physically, verbally, and sexually abused. I would run away from home and would go back to my foster parents home as they didn't live far away about 4 long blocks. There came a time that my biological mother said if this is where you want to be then stay. At the age of 5 my foster parents adopted me.

I went on to have a great life with them because they showed me love and gave me love. As the years went by into my adulthood, I joined the military and made a career out of it. I would often ask my parents if they thought I would make a good foster parent and they said yes.

I wanted to do foster care, for me its a way of giving back because I firsthand know what each kid is going through because I have walked in there shoes, I can related, so for me I would say someone took a chance to give me love so I'm giving back by helping others that is traveling the path I have been down. I AM GOOD ENOUGH!

One of my favorite success is teaching an autistic child how to speak, how to think outside the box to teach someone how to count, taking her to Publix and walking around in the store teach her food items how to pronounce words and showing her love and that she is good enough. In 9 months she left my home speaking in complete sentences, that was a great success for me. I would tell anyone who may have had the thought of fostering, to step out on faith and give it a try, because YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH!"

In 2017, Ms. Barbara Wade was licensed and is currently a Level 5 Medical Foster Home! She has served several children with very high medical needs and her schedule is always busy with various medical appointments for the children in her care. Ms. Barbara co-parents with the children's families, supervises visits, and continues to support the families even after the children are reunified. Ms. Barbara has also been a huge support to our local foster parents and she is always willing to help in any way she can.