Woman becomes foster mother at 55 in Argentina
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In Argentina, María José Valero became an emergency foster mother at age 55 after raising her own daughter, responding to a critical need for safe homes for vulnerable children.
The country’s child protection system struggles with a shortage of foster families. Approximately 20,000 children are currently under state care, with over 1,000 in early childhood, yet the number of available foster families has decreased by 32% in recent years.
Valero and her family underwent interviews and assessments before being approved to provide urgent foster care and diagnostic support. This type of care aims to prevent infants from entering institutional care by offering them a temporary home. Valero emphasizes the emotional preparation required, noting that fostering differs from biological parenthood because she knows the child may eventually leave. Valero prioritizes creating a secure and predictable environment for the children in her care, focusing on physical contact and emotional connection.
She supports maintaining connections with the child's biological family and explains to the child that her home is a temporary placement. Valero believes that loving a child doesn't always mean keeping them and finds reward in seeing a child move on to a positive future, viewing her role as providing a stable and loving experience during a difficult time.
