Vera Zgureanu, foster Carer, village of Condratesti, Ungheni District.
"Being a foster carer means assuming the role of mother and father, giving good examples and the best of us to raise People!".
Vera Zgureanu, foster Carer, village of Condratesti, Ungheni District.
Vera Zgureanu lives in the village of Condratesti of Ungheni District. She and her husband became recently foster carers. It was in 2013 when the couple decided to welcome the first child in the family. Since then, the love for children brought into their house 10 kids. All of them were treated with affection, care and respect.
The couple’s biological sons are already grownups and their leaving home made the house empty and terribly silent. This was the moment when the two parents understood that they could offer much and that in their hearts were still enough affection to share with other children.
The couple met, by faith, a foster family, living in the neighborhoods. They were so impressed about this life experience that decided to make an example of their own, so the couple submitted the request and after following all procedures, in 2013 were declared officially as Foster Parents.
The first choice in the new house
The 10 children that stepped in turn the threshold of the couple’s house, had left in “mother’s” or “Mrs. Vera’s” heart a smile, a compliment, a kind memory.
In fact, relations between the foster parents and children start from this very addressing formula. Children are left to decide alone, how to call their foster carers:
"Mrs. Vera or Mother Vera – it is their choice on how to call us. It is the first choice that children make in this house and we respect it whatever it is" – tells Mrs. Zgureanu.
The woman says that since she became a foster parent, there was not a single moment she regretted this decision. She knew from the very beginning that every child that would enter her house will be (and is) treated with a lot of love and respect by all family members.
The only concern for the couple was how “their children” would get alone with their neighbors. And while we were speaking, from the neighborhood, showed up a vivid little boy with major concerns: the wood should have to be well arranged in the yard, the toy-cars shouldn’t have be spread all-over the house…
"He is the young man in our house" – explained us lately, Mrs. Vera, confessing that this little boy with keen eyes not only demands a lot of attention and patience, but gives her back energy and so many priceless moments.
The Foster Care is a temporary service, it has to yet, a family model
"Children need stable environment to raise happy and develop properly, but most of all, they need a family life example (…) this is why it is so hard to say goodbye to a child that considered you his family till yesterday. We cry at every separation" – confesses Mrs. Zgureanu.
Mrs. Vera specified that although Foster Care Service is thought to offer only temporary support to children who need to be accompanied in a difficult period of their life, she never separated definitively of children she had in care. Even after they leave, they call back to share good news on their proceedings. Of course they are always welcomed in the house, to visit those people who once offered them a house and a family.
Mrs. Vera says that the most difficult in this job is to convince a child who experienced negative situations to do the right thing. "Most of them don’t realize in the beginning how useful is this for their future, but we insist that with kindness one can achieve good results and become a good example to be followed. They deserve this chance".
The foster parent – an employee to raise People
Mrs. Zgureanu says that the salary she receives monthly for being a foster carer is not so important for. The most important, is to get along well and to manage to provide the best care to the child taken in placement. Actually, „Mother Vera” knows exactly what are the preferences of the children she takes care of and what they dislike. They plan together the future events. In fact, during our visit, we had the occasion to assist at the defining of the menu for the child’s birthday.
"Children are all equals. Nobody should feel different only because at the moment they don’t have a family. They have as, foster carers, to fill that gap in their soul, to give them love and care, and, of course, education".
Mrs. Zgureanu strongly believes that if a child is helped in due time to chose the right way, the negative experience they lived in the past, won’t influence them or their future.
Another convincement of Mrs. Vera is that she’ll take more children into her family. Her heart of a mother is still warm enough to provide care and affection for many other children. And finally, good news spread fast so, Zgureanu Family’s example was followed by other families in the community, which is a sign that Local Public Authorities of Ungheni District encourage and promote this service so that many more children can live in a safe and secure family.