I spent the first 25 years of my life in Southern California, got saved, went to a Bible college, a regular college, into the Army, lived in Korea for 2 years and was transferred to Valley Forge, PA. I stayed in Pennsylvania. I became an Agnostic when I began to expand my spiritual concepts in my mid 40s.

I presently live and work in the Philadelphia suburbs.

I'm 9 years old   (in dog years).

FOSTER CARE

I decided to become a foster parent approximately 22 years ago. I've been with a local foster care agency for 16 years. I'm in specialized care and have children placed with me who have "special needs" (I think any foster child has special needs) and the placements are usually "long term" which means there's not a whole lot of hope that the child may be reunited with his immediate family.

I take older kids usually from 14 years old and up. Older kids are more difficult to place and have fewer opportunities to be placed with a family as opposed to an institutional type setting.

I should mention here that I have serious concerns about the Pennsylvania foster care nightmare.

I took older kids usually from 14 years old and up. Older kids are more difficult to place and have fewer opportunities to be placed with a family as opposed to an institutional type setting.

With a few exceptions, most the kids who came to my home for long term care ended up calling it home here. They live in the area and visit frequently. Presently, my youngest, a 20 year old is staying here temporarily. Realistically, many kids are not ready to leave home when they reach 18 years of age. That's the age they are released from care in Pennaylvania. More unfortunately, many foster parents tell the kids they have to move when the money stops coming in from the foster care agency.

These kids have usually had extremely difficult lives, are somewhat divorced from their biological families and suddenly, at eighteen, they're thrown into society ill-equipped to handle what quickly becomes an even more complicated and complex life.

My younger brother overdosed on heroin and died when he was 20 years old. He was married and had two young sons. Had he lived, he and his wife were moving to PA from California in a few weeks to try new beginnings. I don't have guilt feelings but I do believe I may have made a difference if we could have been physically closer.

I believe my involvement in foster care has made a difference by "being there". My brother was the catalyst for becoming involved in the foster care endeavor. It may sound 'hokey' in the present times but perhaps from my brother's death some positive results may be realized in today's young lives.

Recently, I've changed my 'foster parent status' to 'on hold'. I'm still available for emergency placements but I'm taking a 'vacation' for the time being.

My hobby is computers. I moderate a list on the internet for folks who have left or are in the process of leaving born again fundamentalist Christianity. The list lends support to those who have decided to leave Christianity. For more info, click on "Why I Left . . " on the index at the left.