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Release Hompage
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOSTER PARENTS OF THE YEAR RACE WITH SUCCESS
With
a houseful of eight children and a demolition derby car in the yard, recently
named Adriel foster parents of the year Dannie and Kathy Winkle are literally
living their lives in the fast lane.
“It’s not just a job, it’s an adventure!” says Dannie.
And the Winkles
have found numerous “adventures” since starting as Adriel foster parents in
1998. Accepting many sibling groups into their home, Dannie and Kathy make
it a priority to maintain family connections. During a recent placement, this
meant driving three times a week for two hours each way for family visits and
therapy. Dannie didn’t think twice about the driving. “That was part of the
deal when we took the kids,” he explains.
In other
cases, the Winkles have worked to maintain contact between siblings, even though
it has not always been required by the county. They transport the children
for extra visits and also allow the youth to host visits in their home. “It
just an everyday thing for us,” says Kathy. “We just live it!”
Recently completing their fourth certification, the Winkles have never had a single rule violation and are known for their creative systems of motivation. “When a kid walks in the door, we accept them for who they are,” explains Kathy. “We don’t treat them any different than our biological kids. I think they recognize that they are part of our family.”
“The Winkles are very positive with the youth they work with and it shows in the kids’ successes,” said Kay Wyse, Director of Foster Care. “They are highly regarded by other foster parents, counties and communities. In fact, our referral sources often ask if the Winkles have room for another kid!”
This past year
Dannie added on a three bedroom addition to their home to better accommodate
the kids. It wound up being yet another family adventure with Danny acting
as a foreman and the kids contributing with their own kind of help.
”The kids would always get the spare pieces and hammer them into the floor,”
laughed Kathy.
“And at the end of the day I’d walk past and try to pick one up and it would just stick to the floor,” said Dannie. “They helped alright, I guess.”
Another recent
family adventure was constructing a demolition derby car. Having driven derby
cars as a young adult, Dannie approached Kathy last year about getting back
into driving. Her only stipulation was that he find cars at no cost. After
searching a few junkyards, he came home with a winner, of sorts. Struggling
with the transmission at the Henry County Fair, Dannie never made it into competition.
Trying a second time in
”The kids came and watched,” said Dannie. “We painted “Adriel” on the side,
along with all of the kids’ names.”
”His cars are a unique form of recruiting other foster parents,” laughs Kay
Wyse. “We actually got a few phone calls last year after he ran in the derby!”
This year, Dannie made sure that all of the children helped with something on the car. It was just another interesting adventure in the lives of the Winkle family, especially when the consultants from the foster care office in Archbold showed up one day to paint the car. The kids’ names were painted on the hood, along with different colored puzzle pieces all over the silver station wagon and the slogan, “Adriel Foster Care: The Missing Piece in a Child’s Life.”
Barring any transmission
problems, Dannie will enter the Adriel station wagon in the Henry County Fair
on August 14. His strategy is to keep the front end towards the outside wall.
“If I don’t take too many front end hits, I should have some leftover for
Whether at home or in the demolition pit, when the dust settles the Winkles still say they wouldn’t trade any of their adventures. Even in the midst all the family visits, home additions and demolition derbies, the Winkles still yearn for further adventures. They are currently finalizing the adoption of one of their foster kids. “The best part about fostering,” says Dannie, “is being able to provide a home for kids that don’t have one.”
Adriel is a not-for-profit
agency serving children and families that was started as an orphan’s home by
the Mennonite Church in 1896. Now a Mennonite Health Services affiliate, Adriel
provides residential care, counseling services, victim/offender reconciliation
and foster care placement in 26 Ohio Counties. Adriel is accredited by CARF,
licensed by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and is a Teaching
Family Association certified site. Adriel is located in
EDITORS: For
more information, contact Kent Nafziger at (574) 596-4102 or knafziger@adriel.org