Geneviève and Eric are parents to seven children ranging from 7 to 26 years old. Two were entrusted by the Youth Protection Directorate (YPD); two others by international adoption. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they have also provided emergency foster care for two teenage girls.
They make no distinction, however, as to where the children come from. According to them, they form a large "rainbow" family. The heartfelt desire of these parents is to allow all their children to develop and flourish.
This family project arose from a feeling of being privileged in life with good health, good education, good jobs, and more…and a desire to give back to society! Geneviève, a trained nurse and now a teacher at the Centre 24-Juin in Sherbrooke, was placed in a foster home as a teenager, so she has firsthand knowledge about the reality of foster families. She convinced her husband—a computer engineer who came from a more affluent background—to embark on the adventure, because not everyone has the same chances at the start.
What does it take to become a foster family?
« It's important to have common values, a desire to make a difference, a willingness to adapt to children's needs, and to be very patient," explained Geneviève.
The challenges can be great, since youths in foster care have necessarily experienced difficult situations that have led to removal from their family environment. They often have resultant problems, such as trauma, behavioural disorders, and learning disabilities.
« There are good days and bad days," she added. "You have to be prepared for a roller coaster every day.
But there are also the magical moments: the children's ability to marvel (even over hearing a simple story!), the progress made over time that demonstrates their ability to recover, and their resilience.
« They are the heroes. The champions who only need fertile ground in which to develop and grow," emphasized Geneviève.
The mutual aid and cohesiveness that forms between the children is also precious, as the commitment is very rewarding for the whole family.
Geneviève admits that she kind of has the soul of a missionary. She has been involved in humanitarian aid on her own and then with her family in various developing countries. She especially sees the great needs to be met here: "Misery is at our doorstep, in our own city."
She wants to be part of the solution and her whole family is behind her. In fact, the children in the family don't stop at the challenges they face; they are already ready to open their door and their hearts again to take in a new child!
