Reverend Joseph E. Kurtz, D.D. Bishop | Archdiocese of Louisville

When the Buccolas married, they knew they wanted a big family. However, the couple, parishioners at The Shrine of St. Martin of Tours, did not expect their family would be formed by foster care and adoption.

“In your wedding vows, when they ask you, ‘Are you open to life?,’ you never imagine ‘open to life’ in this way, but it’s the most beautiful thing that’s ever happened to us,” Valerie Buccola said in a recent interview.

During October, the Archdiocese of Louisville will join other U.S. dioceses in observing Respect Life Month. Several events will highlight the dignity of human life from conception to natural death. This year, the archdiocese is drawing particular attention to foster care.

The Buccolas began fostering 10 years ago and adopted the first four children they fostered. They went on to foster approximately 35 additional children. Valerie Buccola continues to advocate for foster families through Kentucky Kids Belong, an organization that creates videos portraying foster children to seek prospective adoptive parents.

Responding to the challenges of families in crisis is essential to creating a culture of life, said Stuart Hamilton, pro-life events coordinator for the archdiocese and a theology teacher at Trinity High School.

Kentucky’s foster care system has been in crisis for some years, said Hamilton in a Sept. 19 interview. During the COVID-19 pandemic, children were entering the foster care system at a greater rate while many foster families were leaving.

“The system has been overwhelmed. The private foster care organizations are similarly overwhelmed,” said Hamilton.

Private foster organizations help place foster children with families in non-state-ordered circumstances such as parents needing to attend an addiction recovery program or brief incarceration. Children in these circumstances are also awaiting foster parents.

“This is a mission of the church, not just the state,” he said. He believes the church can help ease this crisis in various ways.

“The needs are not just for foster parents,” said Hamilton, noting that donations are needed too. Foster children who emerge from emergencies often have very little.

Buccola added: “Most of the kids that would come into care came with nothing.” Ministries that distribute donations are essential.

“One night we had an emergency call at 5 a.m. for a five-month-old baby and we didn’t have any baby stuff at our house,” she recalled. After reaching out to Hope’s Closet, an organization providing free clothing and other items to foster families, her family was supplied with all essentials by the next day.

Parishioners seeking to help could host collections for organizations like Hope’s Closet that provide needed items to foster families.

There is also a need for respite care providers — couples or single people who can temporarily take over fostering duties while regular caregivers attend appointments or travel out-of-town.

“That is a great way to help families that are fostering,” said Hamilton. “It helps relieve pressures on those involved in that ministry.” Respite care also provides an opportunity to improve children's lives by sharing life skills and giving one-on-one attention during activities like fishing trips.

Buccola's family currently provides respite care for other families: “Respite care is a really good way to get into foster care," she explained."You sign up as much as you want or as little as you want... It’s like an aunt/uncle/grandparent-type role where you get good times.”

Families can consider if God calls them toward fostering: “We hope people wanting involvement see if this something they're called towards," noted Hamilton."It’s courageous calling requiring self-sacrifice since goal reunifies child w/biological parent."

Bucolla stated their faith drives them towards fostering: "Our Catholic faith has driven all this; truly meaning living our faith—dying yourself/giving completely."

Hamilton concluded every child reflects God's image deserving love/family:"Loving vulnerable kids reflects Christ's charity—they matter/deserve love/family."

Buccola added: "What child ours anyway? All from God."

On Oct 20th post-noon Mass @St Gabriel Church/Bardstown Rd., Julie Barkley (Operation Open Arms exec dir) presents on KY's private fostering org promoting awareness/involvement opportunities/resources via respectlife.com