Car show for community, foster families

MOSES LAKE - Gleaming 1950s sedans, big 1960s and 1970s muscle cars, Model Ts and a few low-riders filled Civic Center Parks as part of the "Cars for Kids" car show.

The show is sponsored by Community and Family Services, a private foster care agency.

Proceeds are used to help kids in the program and foster parents meet some of the expenses, Cory Chism, Community and Family Services foster home licenser, said.

It's also a way to thank the community, Chism said, for all the help the organization receives during the year. Some of the foster families attended the car show to help out, and the children help announce the winners and prizes, she said.

One of those foster moms was Kim Redford, a foster parent for eight years.

Redford said she and her husband Sean decided they wanted to adopt a child, but their first try didn't work out. So they opted for a different route. "We decided that helping children was more important," Redford said.

The Redfords have hosted 13 children in their eight years, Kim said, who stayed in their home anywhere from three months to two years. "And I love all of them," she said.

It's a challenging role, she said, but worth it. "Because the kids are worth it," she said. Society needs to help kids who need the help, she said. "As a society, we need to step up."

It can be hard for a foster parent to say goodbye, she said, because foster families usually don't keep in contact with the children. "But I like my mom's quote. She says you love them while you have them," Redford said.

It does take a certain attitude to be a foster parent, she said. The kids that come into a foster home don't always know how to act, and the learning process can be a bumpy ride, she said.

Foster parents get a lot of support from Community and Family Services, Chism said.

That includes case managers who work closely with parents and on-call support if necessary.

People who are interested in becoming foster parents can contact the organization, 509-766-1952.

All foster parents, regardless of the agency, must meet state licensing requirements, Chism said in an earlier interview.