Right now, in your own community, there are children who are being abused and neglected. These children are infants, preschoolers, and teens. Many people have difficulty facing this uncomfortable fact. But the truth is that right now, these kids are hoping and praying for someone to help them.
If you think you’re not that someone, Dr. John DeGarmo is here to prove you wrong. While the founder and director of The Foster Care Institute will be the first to tell you that fostering is the most rewarding thing he’s done, he’ll also tell you that you don’t have to become a foster parent to help.
It wasn’t always this way for DeGarmo. He used to believe many of the myths and misconceptions about foster care and adoption. After enduring the trauma of losing his own child, the former radio DJ and Up With People member and his wife, Dr. Kelly DeGarmo, had three healthy children of their own. He started teaching English and Drama at a high school in rural Georgia. The DeGarmos had a pretty normal life.
But teaching high school, DeGarmo noticed that many of his students were struggling in different ways. Digging deeper, he discovered that many of their issues were rooted in their homes. While many people would continue on with their own lives, thinking there was nothing they could do to help these kids, the DeGarmos couldn’t turn away. They became foster parents — and have personally fostered over 60 children in their home since then.
