Sharing Love and Building Community by Fostering and Adopting

“I hope they won’t forget about us,” said Leslie Wass, tearfully speaking of her children who are approaching adulthood and leaving the nest. 

While Ms. Wass shares the fears of most mothers as their children go out into the world, what makes her story a little different is that she and her husband David have fostered and adopted 11 children through Franklin County Children Services. 

And three are nearing their independence. 

During National Foster Care Month this May, Franklin County Children Services is celebrating the caring adults in our community who continue to open their homes and hearts to children who need safe, stable, and loving places to stay.

The Wass home is filled with nine girls and two boys, each of whom has varying needs and challenges. 

Reflecting on the lives of her eldest children - two 17-year-olds and a 20-year-old - Ms. Wass said, “I’m proud of the people that they’ve become.”  Each of them is eager to give back, volunteering and working at summer camps and the YMCA, while contemplating pursuing careers in which they’ll help children and families.  

After marrying in 2002, the Wass’ became licensed foster parents in 2003. Ms. Wass made the decision to foster out of a lifelong desire to help children, while Mr. Wass, a former foster child himself, wanted to provide a haven for others who have experienced trauma. 

Their journey began when they attended a family funeral and were approached by a foster mother who was searching for a child’s relatives. The Wass’ eagerly took the kinship placement for their eldest daughter and soon after began fostering their second daughter who was drug exposed and medically fragile. 

Since then, the duo has fostered or adopted children from age 0 to 17, some who were parents themselves.

“We have a birthday party every month,” she said. 

Their children cope with anxiety, social anxiety, relative attachment disorder, oppositional defiance disorder, and other behavioral concerns that result from experiencing trauma. 

Ms. Wass researched and studied these conditions and found ways to help her children. “We mirror positive behavior and do unconventional things like practicing time outs while the kids are having a good day, so that they will know what’s expected when they have a meltdown.”

Ms. Wass retired from a job as a corporate trainer to homeschool some of her children, while her husband supported the family as a bus driver.   

The couple are committed to being there for the children 100% and eagerly help other foster parents do the same.  Early on in their foster journey, the Wass’ were asked to sit on panels of experienced foster parents to share their stories during preservice training for new foster parents.

Mr. Wass spoke from the perspective of a child who experienced the trauma that resulted in foster care 20 years ago - a time when people weren’t really talking about trauma. “He understood trauma, before trauma was a big deal,” said Ms. Wass.  

Ms. Wass began sharing the research and expertise she developed as a foster parent while leading her own classes. She is now employed full time as a trainer with The Buckeye Ranch. 

She credits having strong relationships for her ability to sustain her family. “We’ve built great relationships with some of the birth families. They come to family events, and we always speak highly of them to the children.” 

Ms. Wass feels that embracing extended family members is essential for the success of foster parents. “You have to recognize that adoption is a loss for the birth family, but if you keep a good relationship with them, the loss becomes a gain.”  

How does this couple manage a household of 11 children, most of whom have special needs? 

“I have my own support team and I teach foster parents it’s important for them to have one too,” said Ms. Wass. “Experiencing a child’s secondary trauma can have a big impact on a parent. So foster parents need to know the importance of self-care and take advantage of respite care and other supportive people.”

National Foster Care Month

May is National Foster Care Month, when our community comes together to spread awareness and show support for children and youth in foster care who urgently need caregivers as they wait to be reunited with their families.

Franklin County Children Services needs more foster families who are ready to open their homes to children who need safe, stable, and loving places to stay.

For Ms. Wass community involvement is essential to helping children in foster care. “If you can foster, we need you. If you can’t do that, but can provide support, that’s even better,” she said. 

And all it takes is 100% Heart to Start. To learn how, call 614.275.2711 or visit fccs.us/foster-care.