For the Howards, seeing their foster children move back home with their families is the greatest reward.

Duane and Lavanda Howard (left) became Youth Villages foster parents six years ago after their own children, Drema and Troy (right), were grown and had left the house.  

Although they both work full-time, the couple decided they had enough time and love to provide a home and help to troubled children who have been removed from their homes due to emotional or behavioral problems or disrupting family situations.

Since the Howards completed foster parent training at Youth Villages, they have opened their home to nine children and several others who stayed with them for just a weekend or a few days.

Their generosity and loving parenting have paid off. Six of their foster children have been able to move back home with their families, one found a new family through adoption and two turned 18 while with the Howards, the age at foster children "age out of the system" and begin to live on their own.

"The Howards are doing an amazing job helping children," says Mike Stempkovski, Youth Villages foster care recruiter in Cookeville. "At Youth Villages, we believe that children are best raised by families. That includes children with emotional and behavioral problems. Foster families like the Howards provide a loving treatment home for these children until they are either ready to move home to their families, to an adoptive family or begin to live independently."

"We really have learned a lot as foster parents," says Lavanda Howard. "And we so much enjoy seeing our children reunite with their families."

"The Howards do whatever it takes to help a child find success," Stempkovski says. "Our communities would be so much stronger if we had more families like the Howards willing to open their hearts and homes to children who need a foster home."