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From the White House – New Federal Approach to Hiring
By Jewell Cardwell
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 06:08 p.m. EDT, Sep 08, 2009
Always room for one more.
Not just in their home, but in their hearts as well.
That's the simple philosophy Chuck and Jean Harrell continue to foster as they go about caring for other people's children. Children who, through no fault of their own, need a safe place to land in the face of neglect, abuse or other troublesome situations.
For their sustained good works as foster parents for 36 years and running, the Rootstown couple is being saluted as Foster Parents of the Year by the Public Children Services Association of Ohio during a ceremony Friday in Columbus.
In spite of their ages — she's 76 and he's 79 — the Harrells continue to put out the welcome mat for children in crisis.
A letter from the Portage County Children Services division of the Department of Job and Family Services described the Harrells' incredible journey:
''They have loved and nurtured hundreds of children, many of whom still check in with them to share the joys and challenges of their own lives.
''Most recently, in January 2007, Chuck and Jean agreed to foster Isaac, then 2 months old and the victim of severe shaken baby syndrome. When placed, Isaac was not expected to live for long, but the Harrells were committed to making his last days as full of love as possible. Two years and four months later, Isaac is still receiving that love.
''Isaac is visually impaired, unable to sit without assistance, has no verbal abilities and is unable to eat solid food. Yet despite his physical struggles, Isaac does know that he is loved. . . .
''Every day of Isaac's life is filled with intense physical therapy, administration of nine medications three times a day and feedings via a G tube. Every week is filled with at least three doctor appointments.
''In order to sustain Isaac's life and for him to remain healthy, he must not be exposed to the many 'germs' of the world, so the Harrells have given up attending church twice a week, which has always been an important part of their life. Isaac is more important.
''They have never viewed the care of Isaac as a burden, but rather see him as a special blessing to their lives.''
The Harrells have meticulously documented Isaac's life in a large photo album, as they have for all of the children who have been in their care.
Now comes the great news:
Isaac's adoption by another loving couple was recently finalized.
''When he left here, he had progressed to the point of having a little bit stronger neck movement,'' said the Harrells' daughter, Laurel Waples.
''He's still legally blind and has seizures [he's on two different medications for that] and has spastic movements.''
The Harrells, the poster family for humility, say they take great comfort in knowing that Isaac ''has a perfect family.''
Door is always open
Those close to the Harrells — who have been married almost 55 years — say the couple just can't say no to helping children.
The Harrells have opened their door to more than 300. White, black, biracial. With every kind of problem you can imagine and some you can't. Some for overnight emergency care, but most for much longer periods of time.
''It's a calling,'' Waples, of Rootstown, said of her parents' commitment to foster care.
''I was looking for a mission at the time,'' Jean Harrell said. ''It just took a while to convince my husband,'' she added with a hearty chuckle.
Eventually, he did come around.
''She had taught Sunday school for quite a few years. When she stopped, she was at a real loss,'' her husband said. ''It occurred to me the Lord was calling her to do this [foster care] and that I shouldn't stand in her way.''
Daughter helps out
Today, that feeling has extended to Laurel, who now assists them. The Harrells have three other children, including one they adopted.
''We've never looked upon this [foster care] as a job, even though it's involved a lot of hard work,'' Jean Harrell said.
In fact, it's been anything but smooth sailing.
''We do a lot of praying. Sometimes it's rough,'' she said about their home's revolving door, which presents a new set of problems with each arrival.
In the early days, the Harrells say, their young house guests were most often the victims of neglect or mental abuse, while now they're seeing more physical abuse or fetal alcohol problems.
''We see a lot of anger in the children,'' Waples said. ''We've seen that in the last five sets. . . .So, it takes a lot of patience. There's lots of acting out and lots of things getting broken.''
As troublesome as it is having your possessions destroyed, the Harrells say that it pales in comparison with the shattered lives they've endeavored to help.
So the challenges are vast.
A houseful at once
''One time we had 14 kids,'' Waples said.
That was the time when an out-of-state family, traveling through the area, was involved in a traffic crash. ''The parents were in the hospital for a couple weeks and we had five of their children here,'' Jean Harrell said.
Even in the midst of heartache, there are light moments, as Chuck Harrell noted.
''Fifteen minutes before the children's aunt and uncle came to pick them up, one of them — Roberto — went to a park that had outhouses. He was so busy investigating that he fell into a hole. He was just a mess. . . .Never a dull moment here!''
The Harrells, who continue to be actively involved in foster care, will take a small sabbatical in the spring and November and December. That's when they travel to Florida to look in on her mother, who is 94. ''We try to take care of repairs on her place and other things then,'' Chuck Harrell said. ''But we're in full swing once we get back.''
The Harrells say they're embarrassed by the spotlight that accompanies this statewide award.
''We do this because we love children,'' Jean Harrell said.
They often work with the children's biological parents when reuniting them is possible, and say the greatest compliments they've received are from the parents. ''Many times they will tell us 'Thank you,' '' Jean Harrell said.
However, hearing from the children who have graduated from their care is its own reward.
And nothing, insist the Harrells, is better than that.
Jewell Cardwell can be reached at 330-996-3567 or jcardwell@thebeaconjournal.com.
Always room for one more.
Not just in their home, but in their hearts as well.
That's the simple philosophy Chuck and Jean Harrell continue to foster as they go about caring for other people's children. Children who, through no fault of their own, need a safe place to land in the face of neglect, abuse or other troublesome situations.
For their sustained good works as foster parents for 36 years and running, the Rootstown couple is being saluted as Foster Parents of the Year by the Public Children Services Association of Ohio during a ceremony Friday in Columbus.
In spite of their ages — she's 76 and he's 79 — the Harrells continue to put out the welcome mat for children in crisis.
A letter from the Portage County Children Services division of the Department of Job and Family Services described the Harrells' incredible journey:
''They have loved and nurtured hundreds of children, many of whom still check in with them to share the joys and challenges of their own lives.
''Most recently, in January 2007, Chuck and Jean agreed to foster Isaac, then 2 months old and the victim of severe shaken baby syndrome. When placed, Isaac was not expected to live for long, but the Harrells were committed to making his last days as full of love as possible. Two years and four months later, Isaac is still receiving that love.
''Isaac is visually impaired, unable to sit without assistance, has no verbal abilities and is unable to eat solid food. Yet despite his physical struggles, Isaac does know that he is loved. . . .
''Every day of Isaac's life is filled with intense physical therapy, administration of nine medications three times a day and feedings via a G tube. Every week is filled with at least three doctor appointments.
''In order to sustain Isaac's life and for him to remain healthy, he must not be exposed to the many 'germs' of the world, so the Harrells have given up attending church twice a week, which has always been an important part of their life. Isaac is more important.
''They have never viewed the care of Isaac as a burden, but rather see him as a special blessing to their lives.''
The Harrells have meticulously documented Isaac's life in a large photo album, as they have for all of the children who have been in their care.
Now comes the great news:
Isaac's adoption by another loving couple was recently finalized.
''When he left here, he had progressed to the point of having a little bit stronger neck movement,'' said the Harrells' daughter, Laurel Waples.
''He's still legally blind and has seizures [he's on two different medications for that] and has spastic movements.''
The Harrells, the poster family for humility, say they take great comfort in knowing that Isaac ''has a perfect family.''
Door is always open
Those close to the Harrells — who have been married almost 55 years — say the couple just can't say no to helping children.
The Harrells have opened their door to more than 300. White, black, biracial. With every kind of problem you can imagine and some you can't. Some for overnight emergency care, but most for much longer periods of time.
''It's a calling,'' Waples, of Rootstown, said of her parents' commitment to foster care.
''I was looking for a mission at the time,'' Jean Harrell said. ''It just took a while to convince my husband,'' she added with a hearty chuckle.
Eventually, he did come around.
''She had taught Sunday school for quite a few years. When she stopped, she was at a real loss,'' her husband said. ''It occurred to me the Lord was calling her to do this [foster care] and that I shouldn't stand in her way.''
Daughter helps out
Today, that feeling has extended to Laurel, who now assists them. The Harrells have three other children, including one they adopted.
''We've never looked upon this [foster care] as a job, even though it's involved a lot of hard work,'' Jean Harrell said.
In fact, it's been anything but smooth sailing.
''We do a lot of praying. Sometimes it's rough,'' she said about their home's revolving door, which presents a new set of problems with each arrival.
In the early days, the Harrells say, their young house guests were most often the victims of neglect or mental abuse, while now they're seeing more physical abuse or fetal alcohol problems.
''We see a lot of anger in the children,'' Waples said. ''We've seen that in the last five sets. . . .So, it takes a lot of patience. There's lots of acting out and lots of things getting broken.''
As troublesome as it is having your possessions destroyed, the Harrells say that it pales in comparison with the shattered lives they've endeavored to help.
So the challenges are vast.
A houseful at once
''One time we had 14 kids,'' Waples said.
That was the time when an out-of-state family, traveling through the area, was involved in a traffic crash. ''The parents were in the hospital for a couple weeks and we had five of their children here,'' Jean Harrell said.
Even in the midst of heartache, there are light moments, as Chuck Harrell noted.
''Fifteen minutes before the children's aunt and uncle came to pick them up, one of them — Roberto — went to a park that had outhouses. He was so busy investigating that he fell into a hole. He was just a mess. . . .Never a dull moment here!''
The Harrells, who continue to be actively involved in foster care, will take a small sabbatical in the spring and November and December. That's when they travel to Florida to look in on her mother, who is 94. ''We try to take care of repairs on her place and other things then,'' Chuck Harrell said. ''But we're in full swing once we get back.''
The Harrells say they're embarrassed by the spotlight that accompanies this statewide award.
''We do this because we love children,'' Jean Harrell said.
They often work with the children's biological parents when reuniting them is possible, and say the greatest compliments they've received are from the parents. ''Many times they will tell us 'Thank you,' '' Jean Harrell said.
However, hearing from the children who have graduated from their care is its own reward.
And nothing, insist the Harrells, is better than that.
Jewell Cardwell can be reached at 330-996-3567 or jcardwell@thebeaconjournal.com.
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