Linton couple has opened their home up to many abused and neglected youngsters

Matt and Catrina Montgomery (Submitted photo)

Matt and Catrina Montgomery love children and have opened their home to 28 abused and neglected youngsters in the last four years -- not including caring for their own 15-year-old biological son.

The Montgomerys, who live in a two-story five bedroom home on East Vincennes Street in Linton, are happy foster parents and they've had a quiver full of children since starting their work with the Greene County Department of Child Services/Child Protective Services (DCS/CPS) in 2005.

It would be an understatement to say that the Montgomery household is a busy place.

The young couple presently has five foster children -- that includes two 13-year-olds and three 8-year-olds.

Their own son, Tyler, is a sophomore at Linton-Stockton High School, where he is a member of the football team.

Blending the foster family with the biological family is always a challenge, but the Montgomerys said their son has handled that task very well.

"We always wanted a large family," Catrina said with a laugh.

The Montgomerys said they got involved in foster care because they wanted to adopt after they were unable to have more children after the birth of their son.

"The reason my wife and I originally got involved in this, we have one son who is 15. He's been the only child that we've ever been able to have. We would love to have some other children, but we are not able to have any children. The whole purpose of getting into foster care originally was to able to adopt another child," Matt said. "That is our hopes and we still hold onto those hopes, but we are not sure if maybe the Lord is leading us in another direction to minister to children and their families."

At the urging of the Rev. Don Evans, their pastor at Bibleway Church in Linton, who has served as a foster parent for more than a dozen years, the Montgomerys became certified through the DCS/CPS office in Bloomfield.

Matt says the Evans family members have been a very beneficial mentors for them.

"They were the reason to begin with that we learned about foster care," he pointed out.

"We got into foster care to eventually adopt, but that hasn't happened yet," according to Catrina, who works in the lab at Greene County General Hospital.

Matt, who is 35, and his 34-year-old wife of 16 years, are just a phone call away from adding to the number of children they care for.

That call can come at any time -- day or night.

There is a need for additional foster parents in Greene County, especially in the western part of the county, according to Matt.

Over the years the Montgomerys have cared for children placed in their home by the courts, who have ranged in age from eight months to 16 years.

The longest foster placement has been 22 months. That was an eight-month-old girl, who was eventually reunited with her mother.

"That was a tough one for us to take," Catrina admitted.

Catrina says being a foster parent is satisfying and challenging just like regular parenthood.

"I am a parent and foster parent and believe that 'our' (being everyone's) children are our future. These children rely on us to be responsible adults by providing their needs and a safe environment for them to grow and mature and by setting good examples for them."

The Montgomerys are on the front lines of the drug/alcohol and domestic violence problem in Greene County, and the children they take in are the innocent victims of those additions and violence.

Catrina estimates that more than 75 percent of the children they have taken in come from homes where drugs, alcohol or domestic abuse have shattered the traditional family unit.

"Unfortunately many children in our community and in the world in general don't get the love and guidance that they so desperately need to develop into loving, nurturing, trustworthy, responsible adults," says Catrina.

The job of foster parents -- in simple terms -- is to care for the children as their own.

"Our role is to open our home and our hearts to children that are removed from the care of their biological parents when DCS/CPS (Department of Child Services/Child Protective Services) determines that they have a case of abuse or neglect. We provide for the children until they can be placed with relatives (grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.) or until CPS and the court determines that it is safe for them to be reunified with their biological family."

She added, "I just wish there was a way to get to adults to make them realize they need to stand up to the challenges and responsibilities of parenting their innocent helpless children."

Her husband agreed and said, "First and foremost among the challenges is blending our family together with the foster children. After that our next challenge is working with the 'system' and not becoming frustrated with the system as we deal with the children."

Matt continued, "The state has financially strapped the system to the point where they are overworked, under-budgeted, understaffed and they are overtaxed because of that. Therefore, sometimes it's a challenge to get things done for the children."

Recently, the Montgomerys took a lead role in organizing a local Foster Parent Support group that is open to the 19 foster families in Greene County.

Matt, who operates his own business that assists with the processing and closing or mortgages and other loans, says the support group had its first meeting in September and will be meeting every other month.

The next meeting is Nov. 12 at Bibleway Church in Linton.

"We got a very positive response out of the last one. We had 15 foster children there and 11 foster parents and a DCS case manager. They seemed to like it. We got some good input and some ideas and things that they want to discuss as far as the support group and its topics on the upcoming meeting," he explained.

When asked what he would tell anyone considering being a foster parent, Matt said, "I would tell them to get prepared, you'll have a lot of joy, they'll have their heart broken at the same time. To be frustrated and elated all the same time. It's about like being a normal parent with about six to 12 other people involved."

He pointed out their house is always open to review and visits from DSC caseworkers, therapists and CASA representatives.

The couple agreed that being foster parents is very satisfying.

"I would say some of the most satisfying things that we see is growth in the children, re-unification to homes that are stable and ready for the children. We see a lot of personal goals that the children obtain. They try to achieve and change their lives and make their lives better while they are with us and at the same time trying to get things worked out with Mom and Dad," Matt stated.

Catrina says their foster care experience has been a good one.

"We have had many pleasant and rewarding experiences over the past four years and truly count it a privilege to serve the children of Greene County. We feel very blessed to have the opportunity to open our hearts and home to neglected and abused children."

Matt concluded, "It's been challenging at times, but it has been a blessing. There have been a few children who have been a challenge, but even in the challenging children we have seen growth and positive change."