Even before getting married, Callie and Brigham knew they wanted a large family someday. They were both the youngest kid in families of seven. Brigham was first introduced to foster care while serving his mission, and Callie was surrounded by foster care while growing up. Her mom and aunt fostered, and during the summers, Callie would nanny for her aunt.
After getting married, they wanted to start growing their family. After experiencing infertility initially, Callie became pregnant. They were overjoyed! Brigham’s company, which was in Texas, was planning an expansion that would see him transferred to Mesa, Ariz. After their daughter was born, they moved to Arizona and started the process of becoming foster parents.
Choosing Catholic Charities
Growing up close to foster care, Callie knew that choosing the right licensing agency was an important part of the process. They are grateful that they chose Catholic Charities as their licensing agency and had Rebecca Dominguez as a case manager. “Rebecca was awesome! She was our advocate and a part of our village,” said Callie.
While Brigham and Callie accepted foster placements for five and a half years, they feel like their family is finally complete. Although they have nine kids, eight of which are adopted, their village is made up of their support system, including Catholic Charities and the birth families they met as foster parents, many of whom they still connect with regularly.
Loving Children in Foster Care
Brigham encourages anyone interested in becoming foster parents to consider their motivations. “If you have love and an open mind, you can be more than a good foster parent; you can be a good role model to everyone in your community.”
Callie, on the other hand, tells people to “just go for it." She strongly believes every child deserves to be loved and every child deserves a home. “As long as a child was loved and cared for, we did our part.”
