Local family changes lives of more than 45 foster children

(PEYTON, Colo.) — The Boateng family knows just how far a little bit of love can go. For the past six years, they have been welcoming foster children ranging in age and each with different personalities and challenges into their lives.

“I tell them, everybody have love, which is a gift God gives to everybody,” Desmond Boateng said. “A child of love, parents have love, of parents want to see their kids loving them, and the kids want to see their parents loving them back.”

Desmond and his wife Emelia have showered these foster children with love, welcoming them each into their home and helping them with any difficulties they may have.

“They call me mom, so when they call me mom, I’m so happy,” Emelia said.

Desmond credits his previous profession in giving him the confidence and skills to ensure these foster children are cared for.

“I worked in a psych hospital in Connecticut and moved to North Dakota, so I have so [much] experience with that and that makes me that I think about doing this because I was in the psych hospital dealing with behavior kids, special needs kids,” Desmond said. “Then when they got discharged, they come back, sometimes they cry when they are about to get discharged.”

The Boatengs knew becoming foster parents would come with an immense responsibility, including helping children through their past hardships.

“So, I was ready for all the challenges, even though I know it wasn’t easy, but I do it with confidence,” Desmond said. “When I see the kids get in, when I see them changing from bad behaviors to good ones, then it makes you happy and makes you want to do more.”

The Boatengs are one of five families across the state who were recognized by the Colorado Department of Human Services during National Foster Care Month.

“It’s not about the numbers, it’s about being able to make a difference,” Desmond said. “When they got discharged and they call and they come back to visit, come to spend the weekend, it makes you happy.”

Besides helping dozens of foster care children, they also have instilled in their own biological children the traits of compassion and love.

“I would tell them to just continue doing what they love because I feel like they love doing it, so just seeing them doing it just makes them happy,” said the Boateng’s daughter Bridget.

To help the children who do age out of the foster care system, the Boatengs will soon move into a second house a few minutes away from their current home. The hope is this will allow these children to continue be supported along with having a place to live.

“Since our family is growing, so we just want to get a bigger place than where we are,” Desmond said. “The kids are growing, too. So, when they turn 18 and they have to get out from the foster home, we just want to use our old house as a group center so that they can stay over there.”

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