CFCA invited me this week for juice and pastechi. I also needed a box of Kleenex, as I chomped on my giant pastry listening to the heartwarming story of CFCA’s Family of the Year title recipients.
Centro Famia di Criansa Arubano, is celebrating its 20th anniversary, and would like to remind us all, on the occasion, that we are needed.
The center is looking for foster families, and they define families in the broadest sense of the word, merged families, single parent families, same sex families, who would agree to undergo a screening process, receive an interactive instruction course, and experience a slow but steady trial period, then open their home and heart to a local kid in need, for a successful foster pairing.
The couple that earned the Family of the Year title expressed immense gratitude to the kid that now fills the void in their home, they were childless before his arrival, and they are both crazy about him, now. Mom admits that she is often too strict, but the kid delivers, his grades are good, he loves his uncle and auntie, and while he tests auntie to the max, she feels it is within the norm of any mother-child relationship.
The relationship started slow, by spending time with him at Imelda Hof, then they took him out for a few hours, then for a weekend, then on vacation and then he got to come home permanently, where his face broke out in a giant grin when he saw his dedicated room, decorated, and totally prepared to receive him as a long-term resident!
I dug deeper into the Kleenex box, right there. It was a very touching account. The Dutch-Aruban couple has been married for a few years. At first, they thought they wanted an overseas adoption. They went through five years of paperwork and interviews, until someone with common sense suggested fostering, in Aruba. And before long CFCA matched them with a kid, and the rest is history.
Centro Famia di Criansa Arubano, has dedicated the two last decades to guiding and supporting foster families and foster children in our community.
Their office is located on George Madurostraat 34 Oranjestad, and they ask the community to get in touch, call, discuss a partial foster situation, anything.
Let it be known, that there are kids in need living in Aruba that could use the love and support of a foster. Even as a big brother, big sister, or only on a part-time basis.
The same address is also home to Guia me, a foundation supporting the biological parents of the kids in foster homes, encouraging them to get better and be able to reclaim their kids. Their goal, naturally, is to return the kids to their family of origin, but meanwhile CFCA must find solutions for them, and they are asking for our help.
Tel: 582 0088
https://www.facebook.com/CFCAAUA
