Lynnita and Tom Petroski from Hawley, PA are foster parents working with the KidsPeace Foster Care office in Honesdale. This is their story on how they became foster parents.
Lynnita’s interest in fostering goes back all the way to her childhood. “I remember a time when the mother of a friend of mine died. She left behind two boys, and I wanted them to come and live with our family.” She also remembers the boys were placed in foster care and later adopted.
When Lynnita and Tom decided to investigate foster parenting, Lynnita contacted the Wayne County Children and Youth Services office “to see what it was all about. Then I did an Internet search and KidsPeace popped up, so I made the call.” The Petroskis already knew of KidsPeace, as friends of theirs had adopted a child through the organization. In addition, Lynnita’s sister was a foster parent and so they were familiar with the process of becoming licensed.
In December 2016 Lynnita and Tom officially became KidsPeace foster parents. Initially they wanted to foster children ages 2 to 10; but they found themselves fostering one-year-olds. “That’s how it works out sometimes, so we adjusted,” Lynnita notes.
They fostered a number of children before they met Lucy. After having her in their lives they decided to adopt, and they became her “forever family” on October 1, 2019.
Lynnita says she loves working with her KidsPeace caseworker, Malissa Kapschull. “We work very well together, and we’re able to talk about anything that is happening with the child and their birth family,” she says.
Lynnita offered this advice to other families: “If you are thinking of being a foster parent, just call KidsPeace!”
