| Cora E. White, President and CEO of Partners in Foster Care, Inc., has opened a new foster care home in India. In June 2006, Cora White received an e-mail message from a woman in southern India asking for assistance with her ministry. White ignored the message, but similar e-mails from the same woman kept coming. Finally, White responded with a kind "No, thank you; we are interested in working with children and youth involved in the foster care system." The woman responded asking White to open a foster home in India, and eventually, White asked the woman to send a proposal with estimated costs to do the project. The next two weeks went by and White did not hear from the woman. She thought that was the end to that, but a packet arrived containing all the information she had requested. She also received a call from the woman who talked at length about the foster care home and the children. White did not think the relationship would last because Partners in Foster Care, Inc. is a small charity and does not have a lot of money and she was not sure how she could do long-range planning without funding. When she told the woman this, they decided to try keeping the home open for six months. In July, White communicated with her board of directors who were excited over the possibility of opening a home for children in India. The board received an invitation to visit India and see the home, meet the children and staff. White wrote the woman requesting photos, histories of the children and information on the staff. In February 2007, White participated in the International Foster Care conference in Auckland, New Zealand. She came home after a long 25-hour flight, and the next day, she and a board member, Linda Kickingwoman Huddleston of Portland, Oregon, met in Chicago's O'hare airport with an audiologist from Flagstaff, Arizona, and flew some 22 more hours to India where the woman, Evangeline Ashok, and her husband were waiting at the airport to meet them. White and her companions met the 20 beautiful children in the foster home and the four staff who provide quality care around the clock. During the time in India, White decided other work needed to be done in various villages near the foster home. She opened three sewing centers for rural poor women to learn a trade, to make their own clothing while getting the skills to make a living for themselves and their families. She also opened a dental clinic where a dentist will check children's teeth, distribute toothbrushes and toothpaste every six months; a health clinic for rural men, women and children; and a pharmacy to distribute medication. School supplies, clothing and shoes were also distributed to the children in the foster home. The audiologist, Dr. Yshua Yisrael, performed audiologist services for children in the foster home as well as other village children. He has agreed to return with White and other Partners in Foster Care board members once a year to do follow up services. Currently, Partners in Foster Care is seeking to purchase three-and-one-half acres of land to build a permanent home for the 21 children currently living in a rented house. They have found the desired land, met with the land owner and has plans for the new home drafted. White has decided to ask individuals in the Madison community to sponsor a child at $300 for one year. This $300 tax-deductible donation will pay for food, shelter, clothing and basic school education for one year's time. Sponsors will receive a photo and short history of "their child" and can send cards and letters to White to mail to their child. She is also seeking contributions to help pay for the land and build the permanent foster home that 50 children will live in. The second phase will be to build a school on the property for these children and other children who live in the nearby village. Partners in Foster Care, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization licensed in Wisconsin and has been operating since 1988. White is a long time foster parent, licensed by Dane County Department of Human Services. She took a two-year break from fostering to bring the successful 2005 international foster care conference to Madison where foster parents, social workers, individuals from the medical profession, educational profession and youth from some 40 different countries spent about 10 days in the beautiful city of Madison. White says she would love to be like Oprah where she can write a check for $40 million and not worry about the future of the children. She also says she is happy to be herself where she will ask for community support and have everyone take some ownership for the children and the Partners in Foster Care India home. All donations, large or small, anonymous and otherwise are greatly appreciated and should be sent to Partners in Foster Care, Inc., P.O. Box 2534, Madison, WI 53701-2534. |
| Partners in Foster Care, Inc. extends its helping hand to the world Caring for foster children in India From Partners in Foster Care Inc. |
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