Two Wood County families were recognized Tuesday evening for opening their hearts and their homes to foster children.
Wood County Children’s Services honored Kurtis and Chavely Tallman, and Nancy Eames and Suzanne Grime as 2021 Wood County Foster Parents of the Year. They are among the 20 local families currently caring for 51 children in the county.
Eames and Grime became foster parents in April of 2019 because of a strong desire to have youth in their home and help the community, families and children of Wood County.
Initially, the couple hoped to accept children ages 0-5, due to them being first time caregivers.
“However, due to their open minds and hearts, when the agency approached them regarding a teen sibling group, Nancy and Suzanne did not hesitate in opening their home to these youth,” said Shelby Smith, foster care adoption supervisor with Wood County Children’s Services.
The couple supported these youth, linked them with appropriate services, and helped them grow into successful adults.
Eames and Grime have also been willing to assist other foster caregivers when they need respite.
Recently, the couple has been matched with a sibling group and are moving toward the adoption process.
“Nancy and Suzanne have done an amazing job at juggling the needs of the four youth they are caring for,” Smith said.
The couple has the characteristics required to be successful parents – they are kind, compassionate, empathetic, open, non-judgmental, show perseverance, and allow for grace in their home, Smith said.
The Tallmans have been foster/adoptive parents since October of 2019.
“Adoption is something that the couple has always felt that God was asking of them and had put in their hearts, regardless of if they had biological children,” Smith said.
“Due to their open minds, and after much thought, the family fell in love with the heart behind fostering,” Smith said. “Kurtis and Chavely have fully embraced fostering, and not only have supported the youth placed in their home, but the biological family.”
According to Smith, the Tallmans have been a crucial part in allowing reunification to take place for the cases they have been involved with. The couple formed relationships with the biological families and have maintained those after the youths returned home and the cases were closed.
“This is the true meaning of fostering,” Smith said.
The Tallmans are kind, empathetic, open minded, non-judgmental, supportive and forgiving, she said.
“They understand that people make mistakes and are the first to offer forgiveness and grace,” Smith said.
