McKinney family hopes to keep foster siblings together for Christmas
A McKinney family's holiday wish is to keep two foster care siblings together this Christmas.
The family has already two adopted children and a foster child. They hope to add one more to the mix — if not for one obstacle.
TJ Ogroske remembers a heartbreaking encounter with an abandoned boy several years ago.
“He basically just said, ‘My mommy just left me,’” he recalled.
The encounter inspired him and his wife Kendra to become foster parents. Since 2012, they've fostered 10 children, including 7-year-old Jacoby and 2-and-a-half-year old Crista.
The Ogroskes went on to adopt both. But their foster care journey is far from over.
“We don't do it for the recognition,” TJ said. “We do it because it is truly in our hearts.”
In October, the family began fostering a young girl. At the request of CPS, FOX 4 is not showing her face or using her name. The family then received a surprise call: the girl’s biological mother is due any day — and the newborn will need a home, too.
“They have already been torn from their family as it is,” Kendra said. “And to bring that other person in, I can't imagine not doing it.”
Then, the financial reality set in. Kendra is a special education teacher. She can get the time off to care for an infant, but it's unpaid. And daycares won't take newborns until they're six weeks old.
It’s a challenging situation that points to the ongoing need for qualified caregivers.
CPS spokeswoman Marissa Gonzalez says the state does pay foster families $27 a day per child, and they can receive WIC benefits for formula.
“There's going to be all these things that they need,” she explained. “You receive a stipend to help defray those costs. But if there are those who'd like to help in other ways, of course, that's going to be appreciated.”
It still leaves what will be a family of six essentially living on one salary through the holidays. Not to mention, the Ogroskes have never cared for an infant, leaving them with a lot of catching up. A friend approached them about starting a fundraiser on their behalf.
“You feel weird about it,” Kendra admitted. “But you are just like, you know what? It's been put on our hearts since 2012. It's what we've got to do.”
The Ogroskes say they're determined to figure it out so two siblings can share their first Christmas together.
“If we just keep feeling led, keep feeling guided to love and support and guide these children, then it's going to work out somehow,” Kendra said.
For more information on the fundraising effort for the family, click here.