Colquitt County couple named Foster Caregivers of the Year
Published 4:52 pm Wednesday, May 22, 2019
- From left, Candis Jones, DFCS Director of Independent Living Program; foster parents Timothy and Pamela Harbin; and DFCS Director Tom Rawlings pose at a ceremony Monday in honor of foster parents. The Harbins were named Foster Caregivers of the Year at the ceremony.
ATLANTA — The Georgia Division of Family and Children Services honored a Colquitt County couple as Foster Caregivers of the Year during an appreciation luncheon and awards ceremony on Monday, May 20, in Atlanta.
Timothy and Pamela Harbin were chosen among foster parents nominated by division staff statewide based on their outstanding service and partnership with the agency.
“We are grateful for all of Georgia’s foster parents for opening their homes and hearts to children in need,” said Division Director Tom C. Rawlings. “Our Foster Caregivers of the Year, however, deserve special recognition because they consistently go above and beyond what we ask of caregivers.”
Ways that the Harbins “go above and beyond” include ensuring that no medical appointments are missed and that all educational needs are met, according to the case manager who nominated them. Additionally, they participate in Adoptive and Foster Parent Association activities and make sure that the youth in their care are able to enjoy activities hosted for them.
The Harbins also work to maintain relationships between the foster children and their birth parents and even enable the children to buy gifts for their parents during the holidays.
“The two make sure to instill positivity in children every chance they get,” the case manager said.
The awards program is part of National Foster Care Month, an occasion to recognize that everyone can be a part of enhancing the lives of children and youth in foster care by either becoming a caregiver or supporting foster parents. The theme for this year’s National Foster Care Month is “Foster Care as a Support to Families, Not a Substitute for Parents.”
With the recently passed Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) going into effect soon, Georgia will need even more foster parents as they move children out of group home settings to family-style placements, a DFCS press release said.
To learn more about becoming a foster parent, or ways to support them, call 1-877-210-KIDS or visit www.FosterGeorgia.com. Interested individuals will undergo background checks and pre-service training to help them enhance their skills for parenting and nurturing children.
