Letter to the Editor: Foster care in Ferron

By ALLIE DERRICK Former Ferron resident

Editor,
To the citizens of Ferron who are fighting against the foster home that will be set up to take in young teenage girls. I am proud to say that I grew up in Ferron. Most of my family still lives there. When I heard of the statements that were made about the girls that will be staying at the home, I was appalled.
I am now in my 30s and have a family of my own and have been a foster parent for the state of Utah. All of the children that have come into our home have had problems and issues that we have had to work through. I would never call them toxic waste. How dare you compare another innocent child to toxic waste.
I will have you know that all of the children I have worked with have been victims of bad parenting. They have been hurt and abused by adults who were supposed to love and care for them. Not one of them asked to be put into foster care and not one of them was a bad kid. They just had bad things happen to them that they had no control over.
I ask you now how you can judge children that you have never met. And how can you say that your small town could be hurt by these girls that have nowhere else to go. You only hurt yourselves when you turn away from an opportunity to serve someone less fortunate then you. I have learned from my mother that happiness only comes to those that give of themselves to others.
You can look at change as a burden or you can look at it as a opportunity to do a little good in the world. I hope you can open your hearts and minds to these girls that are in so much need. To the woman that is opening the home, although I have never met you, I hope to someday. Thank you for taking the time to help someone in need. We could use more people like you in this world.
I know some will say I am writing this because of who my father is and to them I say you are absolutely right. He is a great man that has taught me to never back down from what I believe in and always to stand up for those that are in need. There are thousands of foster children in our state who rely on the goodness of others to lend a helping hand and warm home. Don’t let them hear you call them toxic waste or tell them that they are not worth our help.
I am not saying that you should be a foster parent. I am just saying watch what you say because you never know who you are hurting with your unkind words.