Fostering a family

By MARY SPEARS-Frontiersman reporter

Kippi Mang is one of the heroes of the Mat-Su system of children's protection services, a foster parent.

About two years ago, Mang became a foster parent after becoming aware of the demand.

"It was all over the news about the need for foster parents," explained Mang. "Cases of injury and death in foster care. I'd always liked kids and decided this is something I would like to do."

Foster parents provide safe homes for children taken into custody by the state until they can be reunited with their families or otherwise placed in a permanent, stable home.

Mang's first foster children were three sisters aged six, eight and 10 at the time they came to stay with her. The placement was supposed to have been short term, but the children stayed with Mang for 19 months before being placed with another foster family.

"It was difficult to let the sisters go," said Mang. "We still miss them."

Although they are currently in a good foster home, Mang said they are still a continuing part of her life.

"It was a good learning experience," she said. "I enjoyed seeing them change so much, watching them learn and grow. They were doing poorly in school and now they get straight A's."

In December of 2001, a six-week-old baby girl was placed with Mang's family. Mang, who also has a nine-year-old son and a seven-year-old daughter of her own, is currently in the process of adopting the child.

When asked what she sees as the most important qualification required to be a foster parent, Mang laughed, "Patience! Time and patience."

Besides parenting the children, foster parents must get children to doctor's appointments, meetings and counseling sessions. According to Mang, they must be willing to advocate for the children, to go out and get whatever they need, and to be proactive in their lives with schools and other services.

She plans to continue fostering children.

"I love the kids and getting to know and work with them," she said. "Until I became a foster parent I didn't realize the extent of the problems kids have to go through."