“We’re getting ready to adopt our 10th child,” says Rhonda with a smile. She and her husband Bill have been fostering for 26 years, and their story is nothing short of inspiring. When they started, Rhonda and Bill had two biological daughters—one six years old and one just six months. “We decided to keep taking girls, and we do really well with teenage girls. That’s how it started,” Rhonda explains. From the beginning, they dreamed of a big family. Today, they’ve adopted nine children, with two more adoptions on the horizon. People often say Rhonda and Bill give so much to their kids, but they see it differently: “Really, they give to us. Watching them succeed is the biggest joy. We have two getting ready to go off to college, and they tell us, ‘We would have never made it this far without you.’” For Rhonda and Bill, fostering means being there—emotionally, financially, and in every way that matters: “You’re not going to let them go hungry. You refuse to let that happen.” Their children are thriving: “They’re wonderful. They’re great kids. They’re good in school. They’re respectful. They’re normal teenagers.” Their advice? “People need to give it a try. These kids just want a family, a loving home, and someone to be there for them. You can try it out. If it doesn’t work, you can say no. Why not try?” Fostering has shaped their entire family: “Our biological children grew up with foster kids. It made their lives better. Our oldest daughter once said, ‘Man, I’ve got a lot of sisters.’ We’re more open-minded, more openhearted. We don’t judge because we know everyone has a story. Honestly, they’ve changed our lives more than we’ve changed theirs.” Ready to open your heart and home? Visit https://www.necco.org to learn how you can start your foster care journey. Watch Rhonda & Bill’s full story here: https://youtu.be/_EAb8OfOk5E
