Beech Tree News Network

The Butler County Protection and Permanency office held an appreciation BBQ to honor local foster parents. The BBQ is set to potentially be an annual event. Foster parents and their families were invited to attend and enjoyed hot dogs and barbeque sandwiches, buffet style with a spread of sides, and icy treats from the Sno Shack for dessert.
Following the first set of awards and lunch, there were several games and activities planned for the children in attendance, including a water balloon fight and a bounce house.
Recognition awards were presented to the following parents:

Danny and Belinda Thompson; they have been foster parents for 13 years, the longest of all those in attendance, and have assisted a total of 31 children.

 Josh and Carla Scott; they are currently the foster parents of one child, but have fostered on and off since 2008, assisting six children including the child currently in their care.

Derek and Davina Gidcumb; they have been foster parents for three years, and have fostered 10 children.

Josh and Christina Brown; in the two years they have been fostering, the Browns have assisted 16 children.  Christina is also President for the Foster Parenting Association. “It’s good for the parents, but also the children [because] when they go to meetings… they know they aren’t the only ones.” Johnson commented.  Currently caring for three foster children, aged 2, 3, and 5, the Brown’s first placement was 7 months long. According to Christina Brown, the placement was “pretty standard for a child, if they are going to relatives the time is much shorter [than] if they are going home… [then] they have up to 15 months.”  Originally [we wanted to foster] because we couldn’t have children. We had done fertility and stuff and we thought that we might as well foster to adopt…” Brown “Every placement is different; you’re dealing with different family members and sometimes you’re dealing with divorced parents and have to talk to mom and dad separately. “

Frankie and Misty Skipworth have fostered six children in five months’ time.

Christina Bilbrey has fostered six children in the past two years.

Scott and Lisa Burden have fostered for five years, and have assisted a total of 6 children.

“We’ve had several placements, and especially teenagers, who, when the judge has felt it necessary for them to be removed from their parents’ home, have had to move out of county because there were no foster homes here that were available for teenagers. They had to change schools leave their friends...” Commented Family Services Office Supervisor Teresa Wilson.

“Like if they’re in sports, they’d have to leave all that behind…  if you just think about yourself: if you were removed from your family, what does that mean to you? [In] our classes we teach that… I just think if my child were removed, they [would be] removed from everything they know and placed in a stranger’s home. That’s what foster parents are. It’s hard on kids. A lot of people don’t think about it that way.” Stated Michaelle Johnson of the Recruitment and Certification Unit: Johnson is in charge of the training of foster parents.
If you are interested in becoming a foster parent, you are encouraged to call the protection and permanency office at 270-746-7447.

Story and photos J. Harris, Beech Tree News