As a foster parent at Listening Ear, you’ll notice we do things a little bit differently than other organizations. We have developed a program tailored to support our foster parents. Of course, fostering can be extremely rewarding, but at times it can also be intensely challenging. Our trained, foster care case workers are available to help and support foster parents with whatever their needs might be. We also have our 24-hour Crisis Line, which can be called at anytime and you’ll be connected to the …

Lucy came to Listening Ear foster care approximately 13 years ago. When she first arrived, she was unable to communicate and was described by previous placements as “feral”. Initially, Lucy had a goal of “sitting down for 8 seconds”. Lucy also had violent tendencies, such as hitting, pinching, and biting.

Once in the the care of Listening Ear foster parents, life for Lucy turned around. She is now able to communicate in her own way by pointing and making simple sounds. She has been able to …

For Martin’s entire life, his grandmother has been his guardian. With developmental disabilities themselves, Martin’s parents were unable to care for him properly, as he also has developmental disabilities.

The living arrangement with his grandmother worked well for Martin and his family, until he entered into his pre-teen years. He began to get upset more easily, and would frequently stop, scream, throw things, destroy rooms, lock people out of the family home, and even be physically violent with his grandmother. He refused to take medications or …

Julie was homeless for much of her life. She frequently moved from one place to another with her mother. Julie told us that she had never met her father and her mother struggled with an opioid addiction. Her mother’s sister took them in and placed them in a hotel. At only 14 years old, Julie was in the hotel room alone when she received a phone call letting her know that her mother had been hit by a car under suspicious circumstances. She had …