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Reed foster family has taken in 160 kids over the past 28 years!

May 1, 2012

28 years ago, Lyle and Sandy Reed, parents of two small children decided to become licensed in caring for foster children. Sandy was the one who suggested they become foster parents. It was something she’d wanted to do since she was an adolescent and would frequently visit an aunt in California who cared for foster kids. Both Sandy and Lyle grew up in big families so foster care made it possible for them to expand their own family and give a temporary safe place to children in need.

Over the years they have cared for more than 160 children and have been with the state’s Child Protective Services through dozens of administrators and at least four child-welfare-reform efforts. Two of their four biological children also serve as foster parents themselves.

At the moment fourteen kids live on the Reeds’ widespread property in Queen Creek including five foster kids, two sibling groups, and a developmentally delayed toddler they’re in the process of adopting. They’ve adopted nine other foster children, including two of the four Avondale quadruplets who made headlines 14 years ago after they were abused by their biological parents.

The first foster child placed with the Reeds’ was a weeping baby named Carrie, born to a heroin-addicted mother. “She had a catlike scream,” Lyle recalled with a grimace. “For our first foster child, it was kind of tough.” The baby stayed with the Reeds for 18 months. Sandy recently got in touch with Carrie through Facebook and sent her baby photos. Carrie, now 28, was adopted and lives in Hawaii. “You have to be extremely flexible to do this. Expect the unexpected, and you’ll be fine,” Sandy Reed said.

They say little has changed except the drug of choice parents prefer whose children come through their door. In the beginning it was heroin, then cocaine and crack, then methamphetamine. Now they are seeing more babies like Carrie being born with the drugs in their system.

The couple has an optimistic view of Arizona’s latest efforts to improve an overburdened system. This includes internal process improvements and a new CPS investigative unit. They’ve heard many of the same complaints for decades which are too few caseworkers, high turnover, and difficulty getting sufficient mental-health treatment for traumatized children.

Esther’s Hope, Mission Community Church in Gilbert had a meeting on April 9th that drew more than 360 people whom were interested in becoming licensed foster parents. Their goal is to find homes for at least 100 children by the end of the year and enlist additional members to support foster families with transportation, meals and even yard work.