Foster care is always evolving; overwhelming state regulations and policies often stifle children’s cries for a “normal” life.  Foster parents are continually faced with the conflict of trying to provide a “normal” life to children under abnormal circumstances.  I have worked with many families in the ministry of foster care over the years.  Foster parents know that the ministry of foster care is not for the faint of heart.  There are numerous challenges and struggles along the way.  There have been several families who have come and gone; yet many have stayed the course.  This brings to mind some of our most tenured foster parents causing me to think about their faith, commitment, and humility.  I think of how their faith healed their broken hearts when a child they loved left their home.  I recall how their sense of commitment helped them overcome the challenges of dealing with the difficult behaviors of children who were too afraid to be loved.  I reflect upon their humility and how this quality helped them learn from their mistakes while opening their hearts and minds to new ways of thinking.

For several years, I have walked alongside our foster parents on this journey, and I have learned more than I have been able to teach.  One of the most valuable lessons I have learned during this time is the importance of helping people learn how to develop their strengths and work through their weaknesses. 

It is unrealistic to think that every foster parent will be successful in every situation.  It is my mission as Home Development Supervisor to ensure that every family is provided with the support and development needed to reach their fullest potential in order to change the lives and mend the hearts of children in our care. 

Samela Macon

Home Development Supervisor

     Everyone is blessed with individual gifts and talents, and these individual gifts allow each of us to bring something unique to God’s table in the service of his design.  As Clinical Director of Buckner Children and Family Services, Southeast Texas, I have been given the opportunity to see the diversity and breadth of experience that impacts the lives of at- risk children and families on a daily basis.  Over the last thirteen years, I have watched foster parents and child care specialists help children cope with the emotional and physical fallout of abuse and neglect.  I have also had the privilege of seeing the difference our case managers make in the lives of children as they provide support, coordinate services, and advocate for the needs of our children and their caregivers. I have been blessed to witness lives being changed by such care and compassion.   

     Buckner staff and foster parents are relentless in their efforts to meet the needs of our young clients.  Through the years, I have worked in various capacities with foster care, starting as an outpatient therapist in Beaumont and Port Arthur, and more recently (the last 3 years or so) as Clinical Director.  Historically, the Clinical Director has been responsible for guiding the clinical aspects of local Buckner programs such as Foster Care, Residential Group Care, and the Residential Treatment Center.  Specific responsibilities of the Clinical Director with foster care include coordinating regular clinical staffings of all foster care children in cooperation with case managers, monitoring prescribed psychotropic medications, and providing input into treatment planning and obtaining therapeutic services when needed.  My work with Buckner is very rewarding as I work alongside professionals and caregivers who truly understand how important it is to work together, as one body, for the greater good.

     With the recent transition of our residential campus to foster family group homes, the Buckner team continues to show remarkable commitment and concern for the needs of Buckner clients.  I am pleased that talented therapists Tammy Parsons, LCSW, and Laura Langley, MS, LPC are using their gifts to serve children in the foster care department.  Ms. Parsons brings 15 years experience specializing in trauma and abuse issues with teens.  Ms. Langley energetically brings 4 years of working in a variety of contexts including outpatient counseling and residential group care.  Ms. Parsons and Ms. Langley will be working as therapist/case managers for the foster family group homes on campus, with occasional outpatient therapy services to community foster homes.

     I look forward to the future, knowing that new opportunities for God’s children to experience love and compassion will be offered through the many individual gifts of his servants in the Buckner ministry.

Jeff  Ross

Clinical Director

The great staff at Memorial Herman Baptist ER and the Julie and Ben Rogers Cancer Institute joined together to give so that children served by Buckner Children and Family Services can have a great summer. Their staff took the time to collect summer items such as beach towels, sandals, buckets, sunglasses, sunscreen, and all kinds of great summer toys for the kids. These are people that take care of many in our community everyday, and yet they are giving back even more. It’s not surprising to me that we continue to see the generosity of the wonderful people in Southeast Texas. I get to see it so often, and it always makes me so proud of our local churches, businesses, and everyday people in our community.

     We at Buckner are committed to making life better for the children and families we serve by enriching their lives. Summer is a time for our children to enjoy some of the simple joys of life and take a break from the worry and stress that overshadows them due to their histories of abuse and neglect. What a joy it is to see them have an opportunity to decorate the sidewalk with beautiful creations or just cool off by playing with water toys on a hot summer day! Days like this can be priceless to children who have lost so much of their childhood.

     This gift of summer fun is so greatly appreciated and it represents just one of many ways people can give to our children. There are many ways to help make life better for our children. We are always looking for activity opportunities such as movie passes, bowling, skating or maybe just a fast food gift card so kids could go for a special meal or ice cream. We have items that are needed year round like towels, new stuffed animals, and hygiene products. For community members who wish to give seasonally, we have needs for back to school items, Easter basket items, Valentine’s candy or cards, and Christmas gifts.

     As the Administrator of Buckner Children and Family Services in Southeast Texas, I am proud to say that I live in a community that steps up and gives in so many wonderful ways. So, to all those out there who have always given to us, we say thank you for enriching the lives of all the children and families we work with. Your decision to give back makes a difference.

Laura May

Administrator

2009 Graduates of Westbrook High School

I just came from our high school’s graduation ceremonies. The Montagne Center, on the campus of Lamar University, was packed to the rafters with supporters of the graduates, celebrating their accomplishment.

As a part of the pomp and circumstance, those of us in attendance heard several speeches, every one of which included a long list of thank yous to moms, dads, brothers, sisters, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. And I found myself curious about the graduates seated on the floor of this event center who could share none of those sentiments. Their thank yous will go to foster parents, child care staff, therapists, casemanagers, and a treatment team of professionals who have parented them, or shepherded them, through childhood and adolescence to the threshold of adulthood. (more…)

Change is hard.  For most of us, anyway.  For children with histories of trauma, though, it’s beyond hard.  Most children in the foster care system have lost more relationships than many of us may ever have:  teachers, friends, coaches, neighbors, parents, you name it.  So, when change arrives in the form of seniors graduating, roommates leaving, child care staff changing jobs, it’s a little tough.

Thankfully, though, our children have hope in the middle of their hurt.  This is one of the reasons why I love working at Buckner.  The people here get it.  They get how hard this is for the children in our care, so they acknowledge that and work to create opportunities to express that frustration positively, rather than acting out their fear, anger, and sadness in unhealthy methods.

The Wells and Forman foster families lead in worship while Administrator Laura May and Child Care Specialist Webbie Belt kickoff the evening.

This month, we have nine graduates.  That’s nine friends who will be leaving.  We have employees who are moving towards new opportunities.  Those employees have been primary caregivers for our children, and now they will not serve in that role.  This has been a tough month.

So, we decided to acknowledge it.  Part worship, part group, part barbeque, we chose to talk about change and what it means for us.  Laura May, newly appointed Administrator for Buckner in Southeast Texas talked about how changes in life can work towards a higher purpose, and she did so by looking at Biblical heroes in a new light:

Moses.  An adopted child who lived with a family whose culture was completely different than his own.  Had serious self-doubt and ran away from his problems.  He ultimately led his people out of slavery.

David.  The runt of the family.  Overlooked by everyone.  Slayed the giant and became king.

Joseph.  Abused.  Sold into slavery by his brothers.  Spent some time in jail.  Eventually became a leader and was reunited with his family.

These are stories and heroes with whom our children can relate.  Change is tough, yes.  But the results can sometimes be incredible.

So we sang, and prayed, and ate together.  We did what good families do, and we supported each other through the challenging times.   I hope you’ll pray for our children during the coming weeks.  Pray that they’ll see past the hurt to the possibilities and opportunities that wait in their future.

What makes a family?  How is it defined?  This makes for an interesting and often lengthy discussion, with many varied points of view.  At Buckner, we would argue that a family can be defined in many ways.  It is not constrained to biology, necessarily.  Families come in all sizes and can be both intimate and structured, the source of frustration and the source of healing.  Family, in most instances, is a place to belong.

Bob and Kim Forman

Which brings us to the concept of foster families.  More specifically, foster group care families.  Most easily and generally defined as a home with more than six children, a foster group family is a fun place to be, full of activity, laughter and noise.  We’re reorganizing three of our homes on the Campus of Buckner Children’s Village into foster group homes and have recruited three couples to move in and parent kids.  To be a family, in other words.  We’ve done this before, to great success.  Bob and Kim Forman have been foster parents for the past eleven years, and have parented untold numbers children.  In a few days, they’ll watch proudly as three of their kids become high school graduates.  A while back, a story was written about them which gives a glimpse into the wonderful world of foster group care, and we’re presenting it again here.  

Fourteen Makes a Family

By Jenny Pope,  Buckner International

ORANGE, Texas – It’s 7 a.m. and the Forman residence looks like Grand Central Station. Teenagers of all ages and races, 12 in all, race from room to room in search of backpacks, breakfast, clean laundry, medication and more. Kim Forman sits in the Lazy-Boy in the living room and watches the chaos unfold. (more…)

     At Buckner, it is always a privilege to tell our story:  stories of heartbreak and success; stories of hope and healing; and stories of people changing lives, one child at a time. In this new web-based forum, we’ll have a chance to tell you more about the ministries of Buckner and about ways you can engage with us to serve our community.

     In this new blog for Buckner in Southeast Texas, you’ll read about our efforts to take care of children through residential and foster care services.  You’ll read about adoptions and transitional services to alumni of the foster care system.  And you will read about lives transformed through our community programs, geared towards abuse prevention and family preservation.

     You’ll also read about changes headed our way.  Growth.  Responsive change;  exciting change that will place Buckner in a position to better respond to children in need.

     We hope you’ll engage in the discussion, and let us know what you think.  If our years serving children has taught us anything, it’s that we can certainly do more together than we can separately.  At Buckner, we are always looking for opportunities to work together, whether the work is found across the globe, throughout the state of Texas, or right here in the Golden Triangle.

Our theme at Buckner is Go. Be. Do.

Go Somewhere.

Be a Family.

Do Something.

Maybe you could host an informational meeting for our foster care and adoption ministries; or you might consider participating in our “adopt-a-room” program, decorating one of our children’s bedrooms on campus.  Perhaps your church would be interested in taking a mission trip to one of the many countries served by Buckner.  Regardless of your gifts or interests, Buckner can help turn an interest in missions into an opportunity.