“I’ve been a foster mom, I’ve been an adoptive mom, and now I’m a guardian. And I had no idea that that was my journey. That’s not what I had planned. But God had another plan for me. My children that I have been blessed with through foster care, it’s wonderful. [They have] changed my life so much.”
Fran Gladney is a proud “village keeper” for her family and community in St. Louis, Missouri. At 54, after raising four biological children, Fran unexpectedly became a foster mother to her 3-month-old niece. Though she was nervous, Fran embraced the opportunity and discovered a passion for supporting children and families involved in the foster system. Since then, Fran adopted her niece in 2016 and has been a foster mom to six more children ranging from 2 weeks to 7 years old. Although motherhood came naturally to Fran, being a foster parent comes with a unique set of challenges. Fran learned how to protect her children from violence and how to build healthy relationships between her children and their birth families. For over a decade, Fran has found support from Parents as Teachers, an organization that provides her with diapers, milk, and financial support as needed. Despite the challenges, Fran’s daughter Sherrita, 46, says she’s never seen her mom happier and so full of life.
In her work with the Family Advisory Committee and in her community, Fran encourages others to become more informed about the foster system and look for opportunities to get involved. All children deserve love and the opportunity to grow up in a healthy, safe environment. That’s why Fran helps uplift other parents and caregivers – within the foster care system or not – to be the best for themselves and the children in their care. Currently, she has just taken guardianship of the two younger children (ages 4 and 10) in her home. She is awaiting her new infant placement this summer. Fran has dedicated her summer to spending time with her children as she prepares her youngest to go to kindergarten and ready the home and children for their new foster placement.
Read the blog post from program associate Mike White on rwjf.org to learn more about how RWJF is prioritizing and responding to parent and caregiver voices.
