Embracing the Unexpected
Conyetta Williams was a busy mom who was caring for her aging grandmother and did not have plans of fostering. However, after her grandmother had passed away, Conyetta met a Mentor foster parent.
“We ran into this lady at karate and she was a foster parent with Georgia MENTOR,” Conyetta laughed. “She stayed on it, she pursued me.”
Mentor foster parent Conyetta Williams.
Conyetta became a Mentor foster parent two years ago and when she welcomed her first child, her plans changed again. After completing skill development Conyetta only planned to foster one child. However, she welcomed a sibling set of two girls, and after their biological mother had another daughter, she welcomed the youngest sister as well. “We fell in love with one then another,” Conyetta said.
One of the girls in her care has severe medical needs, but Conyetta felt prepared after almost 10 years caring for her grandmother who had dementia. When asked why she took on the challenge of fostering a child with additional medical needs, Conyetta said, “Because a lot of people wouldn’t have done it.”
Conyetta practices shared parenting with the girls’ biological mother who comes to appointments and visits. Crystal Smith, Program Director, admires Conyetta’s dedication to the whole family.
“She never complains, rarely asks for help, and intends on adopting the children. She also has exhibited strong shared parenting skills with the biological family. She is an amazing Mentor and individual. We are lucky to have her as a part of our program,” Crystal said.
Conyetta feels just as lucky. “It’s very rewarding that you get to give a child a home and a family that they otherwise probably wouldn’t have,” Conyetta said. “It has filled my whole family with nothing but joy.”