The Schneiders

Joanne and Eckart Schneider have been fostering children since 1985. The first medical foster parents in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, the Schneiders relocated to Brevard County Florida in 1991 where they took medically complex children under their wing. Over the last 36 years, the Schneiders have fostered 51 children with medical conditions ranging from substance-exposed newborns to a boy they later adopted who was born with half a heart. All this while raising their 5 children, and now enjoying 9 grandchildren.

As medical foster parents, the Schneiders often spend a lot of time training parents on how to care for their children.  They maintain relationships with these families over many years. When asked why they foster medically complex children, Mrs. Schneider replied, “Many of our fosters have a bleak prognosis when they come to us and we love helping them reach and exceed their expectations. We can’t change the world, but we can help one child at a time.”

Mrs. Schneider recalled their first Medical Foster Care placement was a premature baby born at just 26 weeks in 1987, a time when children that fragile rarely survived.  A Registered Nurse, Mrs. Schneider brought Jeannette home after caring for her for nine months in the hospital.  Jeannette remained with the Schneiders until she was adopted by a single mom at the age of two years. They maintained contact with Jeannette and her family over the years and in 2015 Jeannette asked Mr. Schneider to walk her down the aisle at her wedding.

36 years is a long time to foster, but every time they intend to retire, there always seems to be “just one more.” Their passion for bettering the lives of medically fragile children has certainly made a real difference in the lives of the children, their families, and the entire community.

 

The Fergusons

Bonnie and Ray Ferguson became foster parents in 2004 and have fostered over 30 kids in the past 17 years.  When asked why they foster, their response is simple, “that’s just part of who we are.” They have always loved kids and wanted to help build stronger families.  The Fergusons became specially trained to care for medically complex children when a child they fostered and later adopted was diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder.

For the Fergusons, small joyful moments stand out in their minds to help them get through challenging days – receiving a text from a former foster daughter just to say, “I love you,” opening a Mother’s Day card from a reunified parent, cheering on the first steps of a child who was never supposed to walk, holding a mom’s hand while waiting for results at a doctor’s appointment.  Those moments mean the world to a family that is willing to give their all for all the children entering their home.

They are also thankful for the impact that fostering has had on their own children. They laugh at the memory of an April Fool’s Day when they texted their teenage son telling him he would need to relocate to a different room (again) because they had accepted a placement of triplets, and he responded simply, “I can do that.” He was a bit relieved to find that it was a joke, but he was willing!

Mrs. Ferguson is an active member of Brevard Family Partnership’s Foster Parent Advisory Board and also leads foster parent support groups.  A testament to their family’s commitment to children, their daughter, and son-in-law also recently became foster parents in Brevard.

 

Melbourne, FL – 1/5/21

Brevard Family Partnership started 2021 off with a great celebration as Mike and Brenna Hoffman of Florida Bulb and Ballast donated a 2006 Lexus to Gabby, a young adult exiting foster care at the age of 18. The car was donated through Brevard Family Partnership’s Road to Autonomy Car Loan Program specifically designed for young adults in Brevard County who have exited foster care or are in extended foster care.

A recent graduate of the Fast-Track GED program through Ready for Life, Gabby is currently attending cosmetology school in Melbourne. When asked what this car means to her, Gabby replied, ”This means I don’t have to depend on other people for rides to school and other appointments with my 4 month old daughter.”

Reliable transportation is essential to help ensure young adults achieve self-sufficiency as they exit foster care and move on to higher education or the workforce. “Providing older foster youth with the tools needed to succeed in life and in the workplace is vital to our mission of caring for Brevard County’s most vulnerable youth,” stated Phil Scarpelli, CEO of Brevard Family Partnership.

This car is the second car donated under the Road to Autonomy program, whereby eligible young adults needing transportation can receive a donated car or can request assistance in obtaining a car loan through Community Credit Union. “Many youth exiting the foster care system face hurdles that other young adults may not experience, including purchasing their first car,” adds Scarpelli.

Mike and Brenna Hoffman are longtime donors to Brevard Family Partnership, and Mike was on hand to meet Gabby, hear her story, and introduce her to her new car.

“This gift from Mike and Brenna helps Gabby on her path to self-sufficiency and success. That’s what the ‘Road to Autonomy’ is all about,” adds Scarpelli.