Decades ago, Carter Shisler’s wife convinced him to become a foster parent despite some hesitation. More than 100 foster children later, he’s now the one encouraging others to consider it.
“If you’ve got room in your home, room in your heart, share it, try it,” Shisler said. “It really can be rewarding, you may not know what you’re missing. There’s so much we can share with our children, and everyone’s different and has got a different outlook.”
When there are signs of abuse or neglect, law enforcement removes the child or children from the home and alerts the Department of Social Services. DSS then looks for a foster home.
Deloris Moss with the Lexington County DSS office says there’s a shortage of about 90 foster parents in the county.
“We don’t have enough foster homes in the county of Lexington,” Moss said. So what happens is children come into care and our licensing unit finds anywhere for them in the state of South Carolina.”
Moss said that further uproots the children and makes it difficult for case workers to do house visits.
Shisler took a year off after his wife passed away, but knew he could continue making a difference with older children.
“It’s all about trust and respect. I have to let them come in and trust and respect their beliefs and where they’re at, same way I need theirs,” Shisler said. “As long as we can both trust and respect each other, a lot of things can grow out of that.”
Moss says anyone interested in becoming a foster parent can reach out to Heartfelt Calling for more information.