Inside Northside's 2005 Holiday Issue

Worthy Causes: Office of Community Services

by Lacey McCauley

Today, there are more than 685 children in 382 foster homes across the northshore. Some of these children have had to be relocated since Hurricane Katrina. Dian Lusher, a recruiter for foster parents at the Louisiana Office of Community Services, opened my eyes to how differently each of us has been affected by the disaster.

“We all have our own Katrina world,” Lusher says. “We will never be able to comprehend the full weight of troubles that fell upon our neighbors as well as we will our own. The same goes for our inability to understand the feelings of these children, some of whom may have just settled down with a newly found foster parent, only to be ripped apart in a few days. Many foster parents have lost their homes and are being forced to move due to loss of employment. The frantic fear of not knowing whether they will ever see their foster parents or have a home again are fears too overbearing and unnatural for any child to carry.”

OCS staff members, including Home Development Supervisor Dania Fandal, District Manager Linda Deamer and Lusher, are passionate about their mission to find homes for these children. They work diligently to get their message out: There are children in our community who need homes. As Lusher says, “Everyone needs to be interested in the well-being of the kids of our community. We’re all going to meet up with them eventually.” Using everything from yard signs to pamphlets stapled on cleaning bags, the OCS tries to reach people on a personal level, which can prompt a more generous response.

Mimi Knight, a woman who has just recently adopted a little boy, comments on her experience. “When we felt the Lord leading us to adopt, we contacted OCS with a million questions. They were patient and professional. We attended a thorough ten-week training where they actually told us more than we wanted to know. Since our desire was to adopt, we were given a child [who] our case workers had every reason to believe we’d be able to keep, although there were no guarantees. From the first time we saw his blue eyes, we felt like Jonah was ours!”

Prospective foster or adoptive parents must be properly prepared to handle the serious task of raising another’s child. OCS provides in-depth training that teaches them how to open their door, home and family to the new child coming into their lives.

With the holiday season drawing near, what better time to find these children a home? In years past, it has been common for families to temporarily house children during the holiday season to give them a chance to experience what it feels like to celebrate as a family. As wonderful as this sentiment is, it would be even better if the adoption were permanent. These children have waited through years of loneliness and through tough times, like the hurricane, for the one thing they want more than anything in the world—a home with a loving family.

There could be no greater gift to a child than a home for the holidays—and beyond.