To Sarah, Deana and James, Joe Rogers is like any other dad.
“I drop them off to school every day, work with them on homework. Get them to dinner,” said Rogers, a foster and adoptive parent.
Rogers does his regular parent duties, but he went above and beyond when he fostered three kids and then adopted them. This was after he already had four biological kids who were grown up.
“I was about to become an empty nester. My children were in their mid to late teens and I felt there was something more I could still give, so I got engaged and got enrolled as a foster parent and began taking children in what’s called respite where I would take care of them over the weekend,” Rogers said.
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That’s how he met his son James, adopting him at two years old. Then came his siblings, Sarah and Deana, who are now typical teenagers.
“He’s amazing. I like what he does for me. He helps a lot of people so I appreciate that. He’s very kind-hearted and gives us a lot of love,” said his adopted daughters, Sarah and Deana Rogers.
The family’s close bond was all made possible through ChildNet, which was selected by the Florida Department of Children & Families as a community-based care lead agency that operates and manages the foster care system in Broward and Palm Beach Counties.
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“We’re responsible for making sure that all the children that are abused, abandoned and neglected in Broward and Palm Beach Counties receive the quality and the care that they need and deserve. Seeing people like Joe is what keeps me going. We always need more foster and adoptive parents,” said Larry Rein, CEO and President of ChildNet.
Rogers has been a board member with ChildNet for almost 20 years and is passionate about their mission.
“These are children who for no fault of their own, find themselves in these horrible circumstances where they’re no longer with their parents and are as vulnerable as you can be," Rogers said. "A child needs a home, a child needs a family so that’s the whole idea, you’re the temporary foster parent that is keeping them safe until that happens. The one thing that they need more than anything is somebody that can love them, nurture them and take care of them."
ChildNet is always in need of more foster and adoptive parents, especially for teens.
For more information about ChildNet, please call 954-414-6000 in Broward or 561-352-2500 in Palm Beach, or visit www.ChildNet.us and www.facebook.com/ChildNet.
