A Forever Mom

A Mom Forever

Not too long ago, one of Concept 7's foster children, age ten, was about to be legally adopted by his foster family. His "mom" asked him if he knew what this meant. Christopher's reply; "Sure. Up 'till now you've been my forever mom. Now you'll be my mom forever."

Marti and Charlie Edmonds have been foster parents for over 25 years, beginning on the East Coast and joining Concept 7 when they moved to California in 1998. They have 3 of their own children, 3 adopted foster children, and have been foster parents to a total of 30 children.

Their dedication is apparent when you hear them talk, when you see them at home with their "kids", and when you experience the laughter and joy while in their presence as a family. The love is palpable; the caring and sacrifice as clear as a winter day in Southern California. In fact, to accommodate their growing "family", the Edmonds recently purchased a larger home and a huge van. Now that's devotion.

As to their newly adopted son Christopher, they have had him since he was a baby, yet were not able to complete their circle of love until he reached age 10. Why? There were a number of reasons, including serious medical issues, which have been miraculously overcome. But perhaps most significant was the fact that he is black and they are white. In our supposedly enlightened society, this may seem remarkable. Yet it is still clearly at times a formidable obstacle.

Marti Edmonds comes well qualified; she ran two day care centers while living in New York. She taught high school before she became interested in the pre-school field, where she returned to school to become a specialist. She has also been a youth minister and truly loves to help young people. Charlie, her husband, has spent his professional life in the aerospace field, so he also knows the meaning of flexibility, a prerequisite to handling up to 8 children at a time.

The Edmonds also believe in keeping siblings together, and often take several foster children at once. At the moment they have 4, including year old twins, all from the same mother.

The Edmonds were the lucky winners of the Fluor holiday party Christmas tree, an event which brought special joy to their foster children. Marti hadn't been sure how she'd manage to get a tree since her husband Charlie was out of town. As she said, God works in mysterious ways.
And we at Concept 7 thank God every day for foster families like Marti and Charlie Edmonds.

If you would like to consider becoming a foster parent, we would like to talk to you. Just call us at
1-800-888-1699 (English) ; 1-800-370-5321 (Espanol)