Posted: 6/13/2022

Buzzella Family

We LOVE highlighting our awesome foster families who step up in so many ways to meet the needs of children and families!

In 2019, the Buzzella Family started their foster care journey and they have been instrumental in strengthening the bonds of a separated sibling group. (Unfortunately, siblings can come into care and there may not be a placement that can accommodate them all.) When this situation occurred Nicholas and Christy immediately reached out to the other foster family to introduce themselves and to set up a sibling visit for the separated siblings. They continue to meet up regularly so that the children can have play dates and overnight visits, offer support to one another when needed and even worked as a team to develop a visitation plan and schedule for the siblings when it came time for them to visit with a pre-adoptive family.

Christy shares, "Foster care was not something we grew up knowing much about. After moving to Lakeland I started meeting families that fostered and learned about it through my church. It seemed like the information was coming to me from everywhere and it tugged on my heart. One day looking around my kids playroom at all the things they are so incredibly blessed to have I realized that we needed to be able to share this. After discussing it with my husband we decided that it would be better to wait until our kids were older, until we had a 'bigger house', etc. The millions of excuses anyone can find to postpone doing something life changing and maybe even a little bit scary.

One Sunday at church I got the opportunity to watch a little boy. He was 2 years old and sweet as can be. He was immediately drawn to me. I learned he was a foster kid. And the rest was history. We immediately took the classes (even though we were expecting our third baby) and got licensed.

The kids are what brought us here, but seeing the hurting mommas heal, the struggling daddies stand strong, the separated siblings reunited, these are the things that keep us going. It makes even the hardest goodbyes, really, really sweet.

Our foster son has been with us for almost a year and a half. He is so sweet and joy filled. We are currently having visits with his potential adoptive family. Once adopted he will be reunited with his little brother, under the same roof, forever safe and forever loved. We can rest easy knowing that even though we have to say goodbye, it will also be the beginning of the best days of his life. We also know that it won't be goodbye forever because we are working hard to build a relationship with his adoptive family so we can hopefully serve as a support system for them, an extension to his forever family.

Our foster daughter has been with us for 6 months. While we give her a safe space and advocate for her and love her, we are also serving as encouragers, advocates, and supporters for her struggling, young momma. We have a great deal of faith that she will return home to her mom that loves her soo much and we have walked side by side with her mom through the whole process. She knows we are here for her, just as much as we are here for her daughter. This relationship from one momma to another has been so special.

If you are thinking about fostering just do it. These kids need you to get too attached, to love them too much, to be too invested because if not you then who. The community of foster parents we have found in Lakeland have been soo sweet, supportive, informative, and helpful. It really takes a village and these kids could use a lot more villagers.

What we tell everyone is start by going to an info night, there's no commitment at the end of it, but we guarantee you will leave their changed and with a heart ready to say 'bring me all the kids'."

To learn more about fostering, call 863-519-8900 x 289 or visit heartlandforchildren.org.