Fostering Fun

Hannah recently was placed with her new foster family here at NDFH. Randy and Rita, two of New Day’s staff members, have decided they would like to begin taking in our older girls as they are medically cleared so that the older children can grow up in a family environment and begin learning English while they wait for adoptive families.

Elizabeth was their first foster child, and now Hannah has joined the crew. Hannah is a sweet little girl, but though she is almost 8 years old, developmentally she behaves much younger. So at times she can be quite challenging! The Rippees also have two daughters, Shawna and Elise. They certainly have a house full of girls, laughter, and love. We’re so thankful they’ve opened up their hearts and home to our older children, but it isn’t without its adjustments!

The other night, Hannah locked herself into the bathroom and couldn’t get out. Randy and Rita didn’t have a key to open the door from the outside, but with a lot of coaxing, Hannah finally managed to get the door unlocked. Rita says it crossed her mind that perhaps they needed to tape the locks down so she wouldn’t do it again, but then thought it was probably just an isolated incident and a simple accident on Hannah’s part.

So she thought…

Hannah is still learning about life in a family. She doesn’t yet understand that some things, like the other girls’ belongings, aren’t hers to play with whenever she likes, so to solve the problem, Randy and Rita made the older girls’ room off-limits to Hannah without the permission of Shawna and Elise.

Hannah couldn’t bear the suspense about what wonderful things might be lurking in Shawna’s and Elise’s drawers, so when she had an opportunity, she snuck in their room and locked the door from the inside again! Hannah had stumbled upon the perfect opportunity to explore without immediately getting pulled away. Shawna and Elise were a little frustrated to say the least, but after a few minutes, Hannah opened the door.

Now the Rippee home is devoid of room locks and Hannah is being taught to knock before entering a room. (The rest of the children understand and obey the rule; Hannah still has a ways to go!) It's taking a lot of patience and grace, but the whole family knows she'll start making progress soon.

Not many families would give up their privacy, locks, and personal space to become a haven for a group of older orphans. But not every family is like the Rippee family. We’re so thankful they’ve decided to invest their time and energy in these beautiful girls. In spite of the inconveniences, we know the difference they are making is incalculable.