Love for those who need it
by Cyrus Wilson

Most Maine South students may never give consideration to the fact that some Park Ridge families participate in foster care programs.
Kate Rowland, a Maine South junior, however, finds foster care to be an integral part of her daily life. The Rowland family has participated in the Catholic Charities program for five years, caring for 20 children (usually one or two at a time) during this period.
Located in downtown Chicago, Catholic Charities runs various goodwill programs, such as giving foster care to neglected children and donating food to those who need it.
The care that a Catholic Charities foster family can provide is one of four types: emergency, emergency medical, permanent, or permanent medical.
A permanent care family is what many think of when hearing the words "foster care." In this situation a neglected child is moved to a new home with new parents. However, if the child is mentally or physically disabled, he would be sent to a permanent medical family, which would provide the necessary medical care.
Emergency families are those that care for a child for a short time, during which a permanent home is found for the child.
The Rowlands fit under the emergency category. A child who has not received adequate attention and parental care is removed from his home. He is then taken to the Rowland family until a permanent family is found. At that time, the child goes through a transition period. During this time, the child still lives in the emergency home, but makes frequent visits to the permanent family. Finally, he moves to the permanent home.
The Rowlands are called by Catholic Charities that a baby needs an emergency home. If they agree to care for the child,, the Rowlands receive the child, sometimes only two hours later.
The child usually bears signs of neglect or abuse experienced in his previous home. Usually dressed in rags or hospital clothes, they are often extremely weak, quiet, or undeveloped because of lack of attention.
The first job for the Rowland family is to give the child, food, water, and clothing. The State reimburses the Rowlands for the clothes they buy for the children in addition to monthly payments for the care they provide. As important as the food, however, is the love and attention that the Rowlands give the child. Whether learning to walk or gaining strength in their voices, the children usually show signs of great change after given parental care. Kate believes that one of the happiest moments for her family is seeing a child smile for the first time.
Kate recalls one baby who would not cry. The child had been conditioned that way because her father only fed her at timed intervals and intentionally ignored her when she cried. Unfortunately, there was no way of knowing when the girl was hungry or sleepy. After some time with the Rowlands the girl started to cry.
The most common characteristic of the neglected babies is that they are immature or underdeveloped for their age. When they should be walking, they are still having trouble sitting up. Kate believes it is a joy, though, to watch them catch up when exposed to love and attention that they did not receive previously.
According to Kate, the entire family enjoys giving the children love and attention. Her house is often filled with a little one to play with. For the Rowland family, a time without children is a lonely time. Though foster children sometimes cry and keep others from sleeping, they also play and smile and laugh, bringing joy to those who love them.