Sheila Owens has parented 30 biological, foster and adopted children. She utilized The Up Center's foster-to-adopt program to adopt three unrelated teenage boys in the same year. Lonnie, Daniel and Ryan are now enjoying living at home with Isaac, whom the Owens adopted years earlier.
Foster or Mentor a Child
The Up Center offers many opportunities to make a major difference in a child's life. For those who would like to provide a home to a child in need, the agency has foster parenting and foster-to-adopt programs. Please visit our Foster Parenting pages for more information. Nearly anyone—single or married, young or old, retired or working — can change a child’s life by being a foster parent. All that’s needed is a safe, stable, and nurturing environment. It's easy to get started online (click here), or by calling Farra Hackworth at 757-965-8670.
Another way to help is to become a mentor to a child. We currently have 150 children on the waiting list for a mentor. Mentors are asked to spend time with their mentee once a week. Please visit our Team Up Mentoring pages for more information.
“It was great teaching the two boys I’ve mentored how to swim. They were scared at first. We took it day by day until one day I took each of them to a pool with a slide and that got them really excited about swimming.”
-Lt Sean Murray, Team Up Mentor, pictured right with his mentee Hunter.
