July 28, 2019 9:20p
(WGTD)---A Kenosha County foster parent has won two awards this year for her service.
Ruth Donald received an award earlier this year at the state level. More recently she won a national award handed out by the Teaching Family Association.
Donald has had 15 foster kids since retiring from her job as a hard-nosed state corrections department probation officer six years ago. Donald says she's become much more empathetic and flexible since leaving her post.
She encourages people who are interested in becoming foster parents to at least check it out. "You're helping out children who are in need," Donald said on a recent Community Matters program. "They shouldn't have to be bounced around to different homes. They're looking for stabilityand unconditional love."
Donald added that being a foster parent is "so rewarding" and is a perfect fit now that she's retired and her own two grown children have left home.
Donald is part of Kenosha Human Development Services specialized foster care program that includes 32 hours of upfront training that’s based in part on teaching the philosophy of trauma-informed care. Advocates believe a child’s behavior is based in large part on their past experiences.
KHDS is scheduled to begin another training session at the end of September.
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