Just days before their foster care license expired, the day they planned to retire from foster parenting after 40 years, Judy and Alan Patterson welcomed their 206th infant into their home while his adoption plans were being finalized.
The Pattersons began providing foster care for babies in Pennsylvania in 1980 and continued when they moved to Cary in 1999. Judy is a retired neonatal nurse and when she stopped working to be at home with their young children, they decided to become foster parents. Judy and Alan’s Placement Specialist Grace Ramsey shares,
“I cannot describe the love and care they gave each infant they cared for, and the time they spent taking pictures, documenting the babies’ schedules and needs, and the connections they made with birth parents and adoptive families.”
“They are extraordinary in every way and went above and beyond to love each and every baby as they would their own. They have had many babies who were exposed to drugs or who had serious medical issues, and they were able to care for those babies just as they did the healthy ones. They stay in contact with many of the adoptive families that they meet and feel such a connection with every baby they were able to care for.”
