Derek Neary
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Dec 03/99) - Foster parents from Deh Cho communities gathered to share stories, ideas, gifts and their personal joy at the annual Foster Parents Appreciation Night in Fort Simpson last week.

Dolly Cazon, along with her spouse, Ernest Tsetso, have opened their home to about 14 children over the past eight years. Some stay for as long as three or four years, others are gone in two or three months, she said.

Cazon, who comes from a family of 17, she said has witnessed kids struggling to cope in troubled homes.

"When foster parenting was mentioned to me, I thought, 'Well, there's a good chance for me to be able to do something for those children,'" she said. "I love children, I always have. They're wonderful."

Cazon has taken in a number of youngsters suffering from fetal alcohol effects. They require a very high degree of care and attention, but it's gratifying to see them progress, according to Cazon.

"They turn out like there was nothing wrong with them, except for the educational part when they get older ... but that's to be expected," she said.

The hardest part of being a foster parent is having to say goodbye, she acknowledged.

"It's pure torture. It's really very, very emotional because you bond with these kids, you can't help it," she said. "Emotionally and mentally, it's a commitment that you can't seem to ever get away from."

She has adopted a few, but she can't possibly take them all in permanently, although she thinks about it.

"If I had a bigger home and I was very financially stable, yes I would," she said.

Lindsay Waugh, who with his wife, Pat, has been a long-time foster parent, said the decision to open the home to children is a "special commitment."

He remarked that there are ups and downs, but that holds true for any parents. At the same time, the difficult times allow both the child and the parent to grow as people, he suggested. Then as foster children mature into adults, they begin to realize the opportunity that their foster parents have given them, Waugh added.

"It's a great thing from all sides," he said.

Elsie Gresl, foster parents co-ordinator, said she thoroughly enjoys her job because the foster parents she works with are very dedicated to the children.

"Foster parents soothe the hurts and share the small joys, making the child feel safe, secure and worthwhile," she told the audience. "We would like to commend you and your families for opening up your homes to our children in the region."