For Marcia Benson, being a foster parent is beyond rewarding -- it is a ministry. 

Ms. Benson has been fostering for three years and has had three teenage foster children in her care in addition to taking in respites. Making the choice to bring needy children into her home was never a difficult one, she says, when she considered "all the kids that are out there and have really had their lives stolen and have not had a normal childhood. Children deserve to know that someone loves and cares for them." 

With the help and support of Youth Villages' counselors, Ms. Benson works to correct past hurts and help children heal and grow from their experiences. She accomplishes this through listening to the children in her care and providing her time and encouragement. She always reminds the children that although their birth parents have made mistakes, their birth parents still love them in some way. She also supports the children by helping them find faith. 

According to Ms. Benson, the most rewarding part of being a foster parent is "knowing that you are giving a child a chance -- giving them a safe home where they will not be hurt and the opportunity to heal and have a productive future."

Ms. Benson has fostered only teenagers, which she enjoys because they are independent and have their own interests. Even after her foster children leave her home, she continues to affirm the children through phone calls, letters, and an open invitation to visit her. 

Ms. Benson is proud to be a Youth Villages foster parent, and strongly encourages other to do the same; however, she does caution not to make the choice lightly. "It is a commitment. You can't go in half-way and it's not a part-time job. You have to go in with a full commitment."