Mary Holland, age 62 of Trappe decided she wanted to give back after her husband died and become a foster or resource parent for Talbot County Department of Social Services. Holland had worked at Walmart for 24 years but needed to stop to take care of her husband for a few years before his death. Although Holland had a daughter and three grandchildren of her own, she realized they had their own lives and were busy going in their own directions.

“In May 2021, after my husband’s death, I felt a void in my life. I felt I did a pretty good job with my daughter and thought about mentoring a child. Being a foster parent seemed like something I could do because there are children out there that need help. I thought it may also help the void I was feeling,” Holland recalled.

She added, “I realized that I still have the energy to do something else. This seemed like the right thing to do.”

Holland had watched a woman in her church who had foster children and had adopted children as well.

“I was initially thinking about older youth who are almost ready to be independent in their transition time. I thought I could be someone they could depend on,” she explained.

Holland called the Talbot County Department of Social Services in Easton to learn about the requirements for becoming a foster or resource parent. The staff sent her a link to an informational YouTube video explaining an overview of the requirements and process to become licensed. A foster or resource parent is someone who is trained and certified to provide respite care and to be both a foster parent and an adoptive parent. Instead of having someone be just one or the other, resource parents can fulfill multiple roles should the need or desire arise.

Holland then scheduled an in-home consultation with one of the department’s resource home workers. After being approved for this part of the process, she attended Parent Resource for Information Development and Education (PRIDE) training classes. Before taking in any children, foster parents receive 27 hours of extensive, pre-service PRIDE training. For Holland, this included five individual online sessions which were three hours each week, along with four online cluster classes. All participants are expected to actively participate via group work, group discussions, and asking questions throughout all training sessions.

“I found it very informative. I learned a lot about how foster parenting works today. I learned about the abuse and trauma children today were experiencing. I learned about disciplinary techniques for these children. It made me think about my commitment to doing this. After a great deal of thought, I realized I could handle it,” she reflected.

“Today’s youth need is that extra person in their life. I had a sister who was that person in my own daughter’s life. I could be that person for someone else.”

Holland is currently in the process of the SAFE family assessment process and home visits to make sure her home is suitable and safe for housing foster children.

“If you can do something to help someone in this journey, you can leave a legacy,” Holland concludes.

The next PRIDE classes on the Mid-Shore begin April 7 and will be conducted virtually. For further information about becoming a foster parent, call the Talbot County Department of Social Services at 410-820-7371 or visit midshoreresourceparents.com.

Oasis Church in Easton recently donated 29 kits to the Talbot County Department of Social Services to provide the necessary resources for children of all ages and gender who transition to foster care. Rolling luggage was donated for middle school and high school youth and duffle bags were donated for elementary youth – all filled with age-related personal hygiene, comfort, and fun items such as toys, stuffed animals, coloring books, and journals. Kits including diapers, clothing, and other supplies were provided for children ages two and under.

“This donation is such a helpful tool for helping with the transition of our youth to care. Many come without any supplies. On the day the kits arrived, we needed items for both a teenager and an infant. The Oasis Church donations met our immediate need and provided something special for each of the children,” comments Paris Quillet, Special Project Coordinator for the Talbot County Department of Social Services.

These resources donated have also been shared with families experiencing homelessness in the county as they transition to local shelters.

Pictured left to right are Tara Carl of Oasis Church in Easton with Paris Quillet, Special Project Coordinator for the Talbot County Department of Social Services. Oasis Church in Easton recently donated 29 kits to the Talbot County Department of Social Services to provide the necessary resources for children of all ages and gender who transition to foster care.

“We have a program at Oasis Church called “12 Stones,” where every month we support a different organization or community need. After prayerful consideration, God put in on our hearts to do something for the foster program. We have several members of our church who have had their own experience with the foster program and know firsthand the importance of supporting these children,” commented Tara Carl of Oasis Church in Easton.

“Our congregation was excited about sponsoring bags to fill. Many people said they enjoyed shopping and picking out special things like stuffed animals and journals for the children, along with objects of necessity. It was heartwarming to see the bags filled and ready to go to a child who could use them . . . we are called to love our neighbors and care for all the children. This is what community is all about!”

“We continue to experience a high level of need in our community and appreciate donations of this kind to help meet that need,” Quillet adds.

To support the Talbot County Department of Social Services needs in these areas, contact Paris Quillet at 410-770-4848. A little more than half of the children in care on the Mid-Shore are under the age of 14 and many are sibling groups. Talbot County needs foster parents for long-term placement to provide temporary, safe, stable, and nurturing homes for children to live in until they can be reunited with their own families, placed with relatives, or adopted. Call the Talbot County Department of Social Services at 410-820-7371 for information about becoming a foster parent.

Talbot County Department of Social Services treated 12 foster and adoptive families to a drive-through holiday celebration in Easton on Saturday, December 4. In addition to a takeout holiday meal that included turkey, ham, stuffing, green beans, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese and cookies, each family was also treated to hot cocoa and the opportunity to have a photo taken with Santa. Children in care also received goody bags from Santa, as well as gifts from the Department.

“We have always believed that it is important to help our foster and adoptive families make the holidays bright for children in their care. This event, although held in a drive-through format again this year because of the pandemic, is meaningful for us and for our families. It not only adds to their holiday gatherings but also conveys the gratitude we feel for their roles as foster and adoptive parents,” comments Linda Webb, Director of the Talbot County Department of Social Services.

A little more than half of children in care on the Mid-Shore are under the age of 14 and many are sibling groups. Talbot County needs foster parents to provide temporary, safe, stable, and nurturing homes for children to live in until they can be reunited with their own families, placed with relatives, or adopted. Call the Talbot County Department of Social Services at 410-820-7371 for information about how you can help.

Talbot County Department of Social Services thanked its foster (resource) and adoptive parents at its annual “Thanks for Giving” event in Easton. Eighteen foster and adoptive families were able to drive by and pick up a traditional Thanksgiving meal from the Department. The meal, prepared by the Chesapeake Culinary Center, included turkey, ham, salad, stuffing, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, green beans, and cookies. Each family also received a family craft activity to do together creating their own family tree.

“This event is a special recognition we can give our foster and adoptive families during the Thanksgiving holiday for the incredible jobs that they do every day in caring for the children in their care. It’s our way of showing gratitude for the important role they play in providing safe and secure homes to children in need in our community,” comments Linda Webb, Director of Talbot County Department of Social Services.

A little more than half of children in care on the Mid-Shore are under the age of 14 and many are sibling groups. Talbot County needs foster parents to provide temporary, safe, stable, and nurturing homes for children to live in until they can be reunited with their own families, placed with relatives, or adopted. Call the Talbot County Department of Social Services at 410-820-7371.

Pictured left to right are resource parent Norwood Caldwell receiving his Thanks for Giving gifts from Talbot County Department of Social Services staff Debbe Fairbank, Paris Quillet, Chrissy Montague, along with Talbot County Council member Corey Pack.

Brian and Jessica Flaherty of Easton became licensed as foster parents in Talbot County amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The couple’s first foster care placement was a two-year-old medically fragile child who is blind and has cerebral palsy and chronic lung disease – having to be hospitalized several times while in their care. The Flaherty’s confronted these challenges with grace and perseverance, earning them the recognition of being Talbot County’s 2021 Foster Parents of the Year.

“Jessica and Brian joined our agency just a year ago and have shown to be a tremendous resource for families in that time. They have a calling to care for children with special needs. Not only did they hit the ground running during a pandemic but they have demonstrated tremendous flexibility and capacity to care for children with very high levels of need. They continue to amaze everyone who works with them and gracefully tackle the challenges of working with three different local departments on top of all of the children’s specialists and medical providers,” comments Paris Quillet, Special Projects Coordinator at the Talbot County Department of Social Services.

The Flaherty’s have four biological children, including one child who has Down Syndrome. Both had experiences with children with special needs – Brian was raised with a child who had Down syndrome and Jessica was raised with foster children. Jessica shares. “We knew we wanted to adopt a child with special needs one day and instead had our child born with Down syndrome. It is our lane and it’s what we are good at.”

Photo: The Flaherty family of Easton – Talbot County Department of Social Services’ 2021 Foster Parents of the Year. L-R: The Flaherty’s: Leah, Ellie, Jess, Abigail, Nate and Brian.

As she reflects on the past year, Jessica states that there are many variables and moving pieces in being a foster parent and even more moving pieces caring for a medically fragile child. She adds, “Advocacy is critically important with medically fragile children.”

“This is a need I can meet. I believe everyone has something to teach and something to learn. This is how I can serve. Many people run away from children with this level of need, but we’ve hoped for the opportunity to run toward them.”

Jessica explains that everyone in her family has to be on board for taking on the challenges that come about with foster care and every family member has a role in helping out. The Flaherty family members all want to rise to the occasion. She states that learning compassion for others has come from the family living with one another. One of the couple’s children was born with a deformed ear and was aware of being different and targeted by bullies. Their daughter Ellie, who has Down syndrome, has helped each family member to realize the blessing a child with special needs can be to a family.

“Our children know that their opinions matter. We listen to them and their needs in deciding about taking foster care placements. We would take any child who would be a good fit for us,” Jessica adds.

In June, the Flaherty’s will be adopting the three-year-old medically fragile foster child who has been in their care. They are also currently fostering a 12-year old medically-fragile boy.

“I think everyone has some passion or gift they can either act upon or choose to walk away from. It is important, however, for people to check their motivations and expectations for wanting to become a foster parent. You will be giving your family to a child, instead of getting a child for your family,” Jessica comments.

She also explains that there is unique grief that comes with foster care and it is important to acknowledge that grief. The Department of Social Services offers therapists to help foster families deal with the separation that happens when a foster child is reunited with his/her family.

“When foster parenting is done well, we can sometimes continue to be a support for a family that is reunited – helping to keep that family together,” she adds.

When asked about how to encourage someone to think about becoming a foster parent, she states, “I would tell them to take the first step and make themselves aware of how foster parenting works. Educating yourself before you make the decision is important as is taking the process slowly – one step at a time.”

For people who may not want to become foster parents, there are many ways to support foster families on the Mid-Shore. Jessica suggests asking foster families what they need to support them and help them with what they are doing. She states that it might be bringing them dinner one night or helping them with their biological children if they are overwhelmed.

For further information about becoming a foster parent in Talbot County, call Christine Montague at 410-820-7371 or visit midshoreresourceparents.com.

While COVID-19 may have inconvenienced many of us in our day-to-day living and has had widespread financial implications for our local businesses, it has not stopped one group of people from caring for some of our county’s most vulnerable citizens – our foster children.

Throughout the past 10 months of the pandemic, a cadre of Talbot County foster parents have continued to meet the needs of children in crisis in Talbot County who have needed the consistency of a caring home until they can be reunited with their families, placed with relatives, or adopted. For many, it has meant assuming the risk of being exposed to the virus themselves, as well as taking on the management of following the CDC guidelines to keep the children in their homes healthy and safe from COVID-19.

“We have been fortunate that none of our foster children or foster families have tested positive for the coronavirus. As staff, we have been diligent about providing our homes with supplies, as well as guidance for managing during the pandemic. We determine the comfort level of our foster parents before making any placements. We want to support our foster parents where they are during this challenging time,” comments Paris Quillet, Special Projects Coordinator at the Talbot County Department of Social Services.

A new support group was formed in October 2019 among the Talbot County foster parents to help parents with any issues that they might be struggling with. The support group, which is co-facilitated by foster parents CJ Phippin and Jeanne Scharf, went virtual in May and has helped to make sure each family has the resources it needs to manage during the pandemic. Phippin, who took a sibling group of two foster children during the pandemic, comments, “Children are still entering foster care during this time. We all want to be able to help with these placements as they come up. The Talbot County Department of Social Services has made us all feel comfortable being open for placement and confident to do this. They have been very proactive with handling the issue.”

Photo: L-R, Talbot County Foster Parent Susan Zollinhofer with Paris Quillet, Special Projects Coordinator at the Talbot County Department of Social Services. The Department of Social Services are delivering Lysol, hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes to foster families who have children coming into care during the pandemic.

Phippin and his spouse Chris also coordinated a donation of pillows, school supplies, and bookbags from Chris’s employer, Sam’s Club. Lysol, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant wipes were purchased by the Department of Social Services and delivered to foster families who had children coming into care.

For Jessica Flaherty and her husband Brian, who were in the process of being licensed as foster parents during the pandemic, the process has gone smoothly for their foster care placement of a two-year-old medically-fragile child. Their foster child has had to be hospitalized two times in Baltimore since her placement with the family in June, which was been challenging for Jessica, as she had to stay with her there and not leave the hospital at all during those hospitalizations.

The Flaherty’s have four biological children, including one child who has Down’s Syndrome. Jessica reflects, “My husband and I have both had experiences with children with these needs – he was raised with a child who had Down’s syndrome and I was raised with foster children. We knew we wanted to adopt a special needs child one day and instead had our own child born with Down’s syndrome. It is our lane and it’s what we are good at.”

Flaherty adds, “I have been blown away by the support of the Talbot County Department of Social Services. They bring supplies to us every month to help with the care of our foster child.”

“No matter what’s going on in the world, there will always be young people who will still require help during trying times.  When we take necessary precautions, follow CDC recommendations to keep everyone safe, then we can help others during their trials. Sometimes, helping during something like this is just opening your home and heart to do the simplest things so the child can go to school and that makes all the difference to them,” adds foster parent Jeanne Scharf of Easton.

Over 60 percent of children in foster care on the Mid Shore are ages 14 and older. Foster parents are needed for sibling groups and children with special needs. Call the Talbot County Department of Social Services at 410-820-7371.