This week RTV6 is sharing stories about foster care in central Indiana in recognition of foster care awareness month.
When people become foster parents, they can get a call at any time. Sometimes, that call comes and you are handed a child within hours. That’s what happened to Lauren and Ryan Roller.
“We got a call, I think it was at 2 o’clock in the afternoon, and Lauren went and picked her up at 4 o’clock and we’re off and running and all she had was a diaper. We needed a crib, we needed a car seat, we needed clothes,” said Ryan.
The couple quickly ran around buying the items they needed. The hectic experience is a relatable one for many foster parents. Heidi and Eric Guilkey have also received placements spur the moment.
The two families along with other foster families in central Indiana decided to come up with a solution, creating Love One.
Love One is a ministry within Emmanuel Church in Greenwood. The group keeps the Love One closet stocked with items that a foster parent may need.
“When a family gets a placement they can come to the closet and we have cribs and car seats and extra saucers and swings… anything you would need to bring a child into your home is all in this one spot,” said Lauren Roller.
The Guilkey’s, who have taken in more than 30 children, say something like this would’ve been a great help when they started fostering.
“We had a lack of support in the beginning. We thought there's no way someone should have to walk this road alone,” said Heidi Guilkey.
The Love One closet is also a way to offset the financial burden that families worry about when starting to foster.
“Sometimes foster parents just have to say no to placements because they cannot financially go buy all that stuff because while you get a per diem… you don’t get that until a month after placement,” said Heidi.
Love One is also growing. Along with the closet, the group has also recently started what they are calling Care communities.
Care communities are groups of between 5 and 8 people who surround a foster family. People in the group take turns providing meals for the family and babysitting. They will also assist with other tasks to help out foster families.
“Some will come and do yard work, we’ve had people come and paint houses. Anything the foster parent would need to do but they don’t have the time or they don’t have the resources,” said Heidi.
Love One also offers meet and greets where people interesting in fostering can sit down with experienced foster parents and ask questions.
The goal of Love One is to create support to make fostering a little be easier. The families involved say fostering is challenging, especially emotionally… but Love one is there to take on some of the other burdens.
If you would like to learn more about love one you can contact the group at Love1orphanministry@gmail.com
Love One Amazon wish list: Love One Amazon Wish List
