By Tammy Pope | Photogr aphy by Allison Potter
F I N DI NG A
forever
family
There are more than 400,000
children and teens in foster care in
the United States waiting for loving,
permanent “forever” families; approx-imately
11,000 are in North Carolina.
Entering the foster care system can be a
daunting experience. Being whisked away
from everything you know, regardless of good
or bad, and being placed into unfamiliar terri-tory
with strangers is a terrifying thing to go
through at any age.
Foster families can provide a safe, loving environ-ment
for vulnerable children. With encouragement and
love, the children can quickly adapt and truly thrive. In
simple terms, fostering can make a real difference to children
in need.
One New Hanover County family making that difference is the
Maarschalk family of Wrightsville Beach.
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WBM august 2020
