When Roger and Susan Elandt foster a child, they foster the whole family.
“We open our home to the birth parents,” she said.
They invite them to go along when the child has a doctor appointment.
Susan even gets permission before arranging a haircut for a foster child.
“We work together. We involve them,” she said. “We want to empower the parents. We run things past them. They’re still the parents. We’re just keeping the kids safe, happy and healthy until they can return, resume the relationship.”
Roger and Susan Elandt were among six foster families and one foster youth recently honored with the 2016 Governor’s Foster Care Award.
The ceremony in Madison included Department of Children and Families Secretary Eloise Anderson and First Lady Tonette Walker.
Angie Reynolds, Waupaca County Department of Health and Human Services foster care coordinator, nominated the Elandt family for the award.
“The Elandt family is very deserving of the award because of the amazing things they do,” Reynolds said.
In her nomination narrative, Reynolds said Roger and Susan work to maintain family connections, keep siblings placed together and provide exceptional care based on a trauma informed approach.
“They work collaboratively with our Department to ensure that the team approach is utilized,” Reynolds wrote. “Susan Roger repeatedly place their needs secondary when it comes to supporting children in their care or supporting the families.”
[For more of this story, written by Angie Landsverk, go to http://www.waupacanow.com/2016...local-foster-family/]
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