|
|
Monday, November 16, 2009
|
|
Giving Moore Pine River woman, husband open home to foster children Staff Writer When there seems to be no hope left, there is always Jo Moore.
For the past 10 years, Moore, along with her husband, Don, have been therapeutic foster parents, mostly taking Native American children and teens into their Pine River home. While she is white, her husband is a member of the Lac du Flambeau tribe in Wisconsin, allowing them to foster Native children.
They have cared for more than 30 foster children, many of whom have suffered abuse and neglect and have biological parents with alcohol and drug dependency issues. Some of their foster children had many other foster placements that didn't work out before arriving at the Moores' doorstep. The Moores' home is usually the last stop before the teen has to enter a juvenile facility.
Of the 30 foster children they've cared for, only one situation did not work out. All the rest have gone on to graduate from high school and on to better lives than they may have had if it weren't for the Moores. It's something that Moore is most proud of.
|
|
|
|
Jo Moore of Pine River spoke softly to her 2-month-old foster son. She and her husband, Don, are in the process of adopting the infant. The Moores took in the boy when he was a couple days old. He is one of about 30 foster children, the majority of them Native American, that they've cared for during the past 10 years. Brainerd Dispatch/Kelly Humphrey
» Purchase reprints of this photo.
|
|
|
|
|
Jo Moore
Age: 54.
Occupation: She worked as a licensed practical nurse at Ah-Gwah-Ching with chemically dependent patients until the facility was closed in 2008. She is now retired. But she and her husband, Don, who is head of the Native American chemical dependency program at the Brainerd Regional Human Services Center, have been therapeutic foster parents for the past 10 years, mostly taking in Native American children and teens. They also own Moore Foods, a food stand serving Indian tacos and Indian fry bread, which they operate at powwows and the Cass County Fair in Pine River.
Family: Jo has seven biological children ages 21-36, a grown step-daughter and four adopted children ages 10-21. She and her husband, Don, are in the process of adopting their 3-year-old and 2-month-old foster sons and have a 15-year-old foster child living with them. They also have 12 grandchildren and two due in January and February. But the Moores don't differentiate between step, foster or biological in their Pine River home; the children are all their children, she explained.
Favorite authors: Dean Koontz and Lilian Jackson Braun.
Favorite activities: Spending time with her family; quilting; and going to powwows, where she enjoys performing traditional dances.
Favorite television shows: CSI, Bones, and 18 Kids and Counting reality show. I admire that family, Moore said of the Duggar family, which has 18 children and one on the way. Those kids are truly, truly happy.
|
"My husband and I believe all kids are worth saving," she explained.
Moore grew up in Illinois and moved from Colorado to Ideal Township in 1995 so her seven biological children could be closer to her parents, Dan and Linda Fierst, who formerly owned North Shore Acres on Ossawinnamakee Lake. She was working as a licensed practical nurse at the chemical dependency program at the Brainerd Regional Human Services Center when she met her husband, a chemical dependency counselor for the Native American chemical dependency program. In 1999 she transferred to work at Ah-Gwah-Ching, retiring there when the facility closed in 2008.
Ten years ago, the Moores took in their first foster child, a baby girl only a few days old they picked up themselves from a Twin Cities hospital. The baby's mother had chemical dependency issues and the Moores spent the first three months of their daughter's life walking the floors with her as she cried and cried, going through drug withdrawal. It was tough, she said.
That little baby, whom they adopted, is now a bright fourth-grader and a straight-A student. She was recently honored at the Mall of America as an Academic All-Star, scoring significantly higher on her state assessment tests than her peers.
"She's the love of our life," Moore said with a smile. "She's the most gracious little girl, so loving. She's the glue that holds our family together. Everybody loves her."
Moore is proud of all of her children, but she spoke of the struggles and successes of two of her 21-year-old adopted daughters, who arrived at their home as teens. By the age of 14, one of the girls had already been in 14 different placements. No one expected much from her except life in jail, said Moore.
"She graduated from high school and she went to prom," Moore said with a smile. "She looked beautiful. All these kids need is a hard hand and a big heart."
Her other 21-year-old daughter suffered from lupus and her biological mother had done drugs while she was pregnant with her. She's now in college, working to earn her nursing degree and will soon give birth to her first child. She is one of four of the Moore children who are currently in college, Moore said proudly.
The Moores together have eight adult children, have adopted four of their foster children ages 10-21 and are in the process of adopting their 3-year-old and 2-month-old foster sons. They also are raising a 15-year-old foster child right now.
But words like "step" or "foster" or "biological" are not spoken in the Moore household; everyone is their child.
"There is no color in our house, there is no "step" in our house, they're all our kids," said Moore.
The Moores believe it is important for their children to remain close to their Native American heritage. The family often attends powwows and travels 10 hours away so their 10-year-old daughter can go to powwows with her own tribe. Moore teaches her children to sew their own tribal dresses and regalia. They also stay close to the Native culture. Elders must be respected, as does Mother Earth.
Moore said non-Native Americans could learn much from the Native culture.
"If people would look at what the culture is all about, it's phenomenally cool with cool ideas," said Moore.
Moore is usually up by 4 a.m. most mornings, especially now that she's caring for her 2-month-old foster son. She is kept busy much of her day but her husband relieves her when he comes home from work so she can relax.
The Moores attempt to include their adopted and foster children's biological families - if they are sober - in their children's lives. Some of them attend holidays with the Moores. They believe it helps the children heal.
"These kids need to know we're family and we love them but they have family, too," Moore explained. "Those are their parents and they need to know it's not their fault they went into foster care."
While the Moores have done whole family foster placement, where a mother and her children live with them so the mother can learn to become a better parent in a safe environment, Moore has even greater dreams. She would love to take in a whole family in which the parent is just out of chemical dependency treatment. Oftentimes parents get out of treatment and it's difficult for them to not only stay clean but become good parents. Moore said her husband would be able to help the parent with her chemical dependency issues while she would be there for the children. She said such a program doesn't exist right now.
"I bet we would eliminate 50 percent of foster care with just that piece," Moore said. "There needs to be more help for mom."
The Moores are open to adopting more children but the decision to take in additional foster children and whether to adopt them is decided by the entire family, including all their grown children. They have a large family meeting to make those decisions. The Moores have always had a plan for their dependent children in case something happens to them. Their eldest children have agreed to raise their young siblings and the Moores always increase their life insurance when they adopt a child.
"God willing, I'm going to keep doing it as long as I can. I can't see my life without children," said Moore. "I don't know what I'd do if I had nothing to do."
JODIE TWEED may be reached at jodie.tweed@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5858.
To Subscribe to the Brainerd Dispatch, Click Here.
Note: Comments are not edited and don't represent the views of The Brainerd Dispatch. Please read our posting rules in the terms of service policy. To report a post that may be inappropriate, click the triangle alert icon.
|
|
|
|
|
 Top Commented Articles
Over the last 7 days
Most Recent Comments
|
|
|
|
Thinking about a New Job?
These employers want you!
|
Loading...
|
|
|
Today's Best Classifieds:
|
|
|
|
|
|
