Linda Kelley was named 2005’s Foster Parent of the Year by the Montgomery County Department of Human Resources this past May.
Kelley’s mother died a week later, her new grandson a few weeks after that. The 55-year-old single foster mother of three sought comfort in the midst of her grief in her church — Heritage Baptist Church, Montgomery. She’s been a member of the church since she moved to Montgomery from Huntsville three years ago. “Heritage Baptist is the best thing that ever happened to me,” Kelley said.
Changing lives
Though she didn’t mention the award to her peers when she found out about it, members of Heritage had seen an article on Kelley in the Montgomery Advertiser during the week, and a special announcement was planned for the Sunday service following her mother’s death.
But she didn’t hear the congratulations — she was late that day. While her church was celebrating her passion for foster parenting, Kelley was leading her 7-year-old foster daughter to Christ.
Life was different for Kelley three years ago. Having already raised one grown son of her own, she said she “was just sitting around reading books, and it was nothing, it was mindless. I just sat here and wasn’t accomplishing much of anything with my life. It was just so mundane.”
A conversation with a co-worker changed all that.
“She had been a foster child, and she talked me into it originally,” Kelley said. “I wasn’t really sure about it, but I put a lot (of) prayer into it. I had to go through a foster parenting school, and I told the Lord, ‘If You don’t want me to do this, just don’t let me pass the test.’”
She passed the test and three weeks later, Kelley had three foster children living with her.
“It was a difficult transition for me,” she said. “I wondered if the Lord had overestimated my ability, but I don’t turn things down. I felt like they (the children) wouldn’t have been offered if they weren’t meant to be with me.”
Of her three original foster children — three siblings — Kelley still has two, a brother and sister, ages 6 and 7. They’ve been with her three years. Sometimes they call her “Miss Linda,” but mostly they call her “Mommy.” Kelley’s newest addition is a 9-month-old, whom she’s had since the age of 3 months.
Linette Wright, preschool and children’s director at Heritage, said she has seen firsthand how much Kelley has meant in the lives of her foster children.
“She has done a remarkable job with these kids,” Wright said. “She’s been very intentional about their spiritual development and welfare as well as their physical and emotional welfare. She really does a great job parenting, and it’s just been (a) real pleasure to watch her involvement with her kids. She deserves all the recognition she’s getting.”
Kelley credits the recognition to God but also to her late mother. Seeing her for the last time just a week after receiving the honor, “I just told her ‘Mom, this is an honor to you, because you’re the reason I am who I am,’” she said. “These children bless me every day, and I felt God gave me the opportunity to bless my mother. That really meant a lot.”
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