How we became foster parents..

The children's welfare from Brandon Manitoba were looking for foster homes in places besides
the city.I don't remember just which family in our area applied to take care of children other than their own. We first had to have our home licenced and then be excepted to become foster parents. There were several family's who applied in the Oak Lake area. I know a number of the Gompf family's who became foster parents. Max brother Charlie & Evelyn,had one daughter Ferne applied first, then his older brother Elmer & Edith had three children, Beverley, Donald & Marjorie, were excepted. Next Max & I , who had one son & two daughters,Gary, Gail & Colleen relieved our licenced to have a foster home. Max parents Harry & Lena Gompf whose, daughter Eileen, was still living at home also were able to have their home licenced to look after children in need of care.
Children received foster care for different reasons, such as illness . I don't know for sure was the first to receive their child or children. We all saw the need and believed it was a way to help those in need of special care.
We were paid a small amount for each child as none of us were able do this on our own with out some help ,for these were years when cash was scarce. We all raised large gardens , had chickens, pigs & cattle which gave us our meat supply. Elmer,s lived on the edge of the town of oak Lake. Max folks lived in town & Eileen loved children.
I believe Charlie & Evelyn may have been the first to receive a foster child, they had several during the time they were foster parents, thus Ferne had a play mate thus being company
for each other. Elmer & Edith had many foster children pass through their home, which were either adopted out & they also adopted two of their foster children. Max parents Harry & Lena recieved two small boys who were brothers. Eileen loved to help care for these boys but due to Eileen's sudden death, the boys had to be given another home.
We had several children for short terms who returned to relatives or were adopted.
Barb Paterson, a neighbor & a close friend asked us if we would take some of her brothers Jack's family as there were five children in need of a good christian home .The mother Betty was too ill to care for them . Jack worked far from their home & wanted them placed in good homes. when their mother was hospitalized. Barb took one boy Rickie & Kevin was to be placed in our home. The youngest son Brad went to live with his aunt in USA. the two eldest Jackelyn and Tim live for a time with neighbors in Kenton. Later we were asked to take them so Lynne(she was called then) and Tim came to live with us,thus keeping the family closer together, by being with relatives & friends of the family. We now had a larger family as every summer my mother would spent with us in Manitoba but the winters were spent with her other daughter Clara Siggelkow in High River in Alberta..