As we prepare for the quarterly board meeting, which is tomorrow, it comes to me yet again the immense task we are faced with at KFAPA. We represent the voice of the foster, adoptive and kinship families of Kansas. What a challenge that is to our dedicated and committed board members. Many of us have full time jobs, are also foster, adoptive and/or kinship families, and have volunteered our time and talents to this association. I think how uninformed the general public is about the highly challenging, sometimes rarely rewarded, job that foster, adoptive and kinship families take on. So our hats are off to those individuals and families who are stepping up to take care of someone else's child, sometimes for a day, perhaps a week, a month, years, or a lifetime. KFAPA will continue to work hard to be visible, to educate the public about foster parenting, to represent the families within and outside of the child welfare system, to strengthen their position on the reintegration/adoption team.

Last weekend we hosted a young man who lived with us for 13 months at age 8-9. He is now almost 14. It was touching to us to see him go through the house asking about things, like is the cactus plant my mother gave him still alive. Yes, it is thriving quite well on the front porch and he was happy to see how it had grown. He wasn't able to take it with him when he left so we agreed to keep it for him. What if we had thrown it away? Connections that we make with the children who come into our home are important to them and we should cherish them and strengthen them whenever possible. We are guilty of not keeping in touch with children who have left our home. Our goal as foster parents was to make a difference. If one child stays at our home one day and years later remembers something about us, then we made a difference. We had a 15 year old boy with us a few weeks ago who had never been to a county fair! He went with us to our county fair, got to pet cows and goats and sheep, watched the pedal tractor pull, and learned how to fry funnel cakes. He had a great time. He will remember that for a long time, and so will we. We made a difference! This was also reinforced to us recently when we met up with a youngster who spent 2 days with us two years ago. When we saw us, he ran up, gave me a hug, looked up and said "I remember you, you have goats." Making positive memories, what can be better for a child, and for us as well. We applaud all foster, adoptive and kinship parents for the work you do. It isn't always easy, but when you feel down, try to think about the connections you have made, the positive memories the children will have because of what you have done, and doesn't that make it worth it!