Aspiranet to Celebrate Foster Mother's Past, Present and Future at Open House May 5

April 17, 2012 - PRLog -- (SANTA FE SPRINGS, Calif.) – Over the past 4 years, Cynthia Berry has mothered 20 children. Working as a certified foster parent with Aspiranet, one of California’s largest and most innovative social services agencies, Berry has opened her heart and her home to numerous children who, by no fault of their own, have been removed from their homes and separated from their birth parents. Some stay for days; others stay for years; and some may eventually become permanent members of the Berry family.

On Saturday, May 5, Aspiranet will celebrate women like Berry, who embrace the ideal that every child deserves a loving home to call their own, at a Mother’s Day Open House. From 2 – 4 p.m., foster mothers are invited to a free family-friendly event happening at the nonprofit organization’s Santa Fe Springs office, 10350 Heritage Park Dr., Ste. 202. The Open House will include food, crafts for the kids and an informational presentation for potential new foster parents.  

“We will celebrate our current foster families on May 5 and also hope to introduce new families to the joys of foster parenting,” said Claudia Martinez, Aspiranet Intake-Home Coordinator. “People mistakenly think that only one type of adult makes a good foster parent. Honestly, we have all types of foster parents – single, couples, grandparents, monolingual families, those with kids, and empty nesters. The one thing they all have in common is a willingness to share their love with a child in need.”

Aspiranet’s foster parents represent a diverse group of adults that vary in age, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation and spoken language. Although the primary goal for each child is birth family reunification, that is not always possible. When circumstances prevent a child from returning to his or her birth parents, foster parents often choose to adopt the child in their care.

Iris Dominguez, a mom who has fostered 21 children over the past three years, will join Cynthia Berry at the May 5 Open House. Both women will share their personal observations about how foster parenting has enriched their lives as well as the lives of the children they have helped.

“I receive so much joy from nurturing the foster children in my care,” said Berry. “I love these kids as if they are my own. If it happens that they cannot return to their birth families, it would be an honor to become their mom for life.”

For more information about Aspiranet, go to www.aspiranetheroes.org or call (877) 350-HERO.

To find out more about the Open House, call Aspiranet’s Santa Fe Springs office: (562) 941-6967.