Alda Norcross

I interviewed Alda Norcross, known as Mrs.Norcross at Albert D Lawton Intermediate school, Alda grew up Partly in Texas and Partly in Vermont, she came to vermont in 1975 at the age of 9, Alda had a rough childhood so she knew how it was to have family troubles. Alda's mother use to take people in but didn't exactly be with a organization, since Alda's dad was in the army she grew up on an army base with other kids with parents who were in the army, since the army is so strict Alda knew she had to be on her best behavior at all times, and she thinks that she grew up pretty good with all the struggles and problems that her family had.

I interviewed Alda Norcross, known as Mrs.Norcross at Albert D Lawton Intermediate school, Alda grew up Partly in Texas and Partly in Vermont, she came to vermont in 1975 at the age of 9, Alda had a rough childhood so she knew how it was to have family troubles. Alda's mother use to take people in but didn't exactly be with a organization, since Alda's dad was in the army she grew up on an army base with other kids with parents who were in the army, since the army is so strict Alda knew she had to be on her best behavior at all times, and she thinks that she grew up pretty good with all the struggles and problems that her family had.

Alda has been fostering kids for 13 years now, she takes in kids whose families are in crisis and need some time to get situated with their problems, Alda started to foster around 2001 when a student of hers needed a foster home very quickly, since Alda loved kids and she was thinking about fostering with her family she started to foster the girl, usually to become a foster parent you need to do multiple things like get interviewed, get your house looked at, see if your good with children multiple things but since this girl needed a home asap Alda got an emergency license. A social worker got in touch with Alda, interviewed her and looked at her house, finally when the child was being fostered by Alda, Alda then went and did all of the other stuff that she had to do to become an official foster parent. Alda fosters a kid whenever they need her, and sometimes she does restpit which is not fostering a kid but letting them stay at her house for a bit.

Alda says "i do this because i love children and believe that every kid should be loved and have a safe place to stay and live." Alda has fostered around 20-25 kids in the past 12 years, she wants every kid who comes to her house know that they are safe and loved. The youngest she has fostered was 5 weeks old and the oldest was 18 years old. Since most kids stay a full year but some are at least 6 months or more, alda says she usually has 10 kids a year if restpit and 1-2 if fostering, the most kids that she has had at once was 2. Alda said " the older ones keep in contact , and call me when they're in crisis" one girl still calls her every week. Before a foster kid comes to their house, Alda, her husband, and 3 kids have a meeting and make sure that the kid will be good for there family "its a family decision, it takes all 5 of us."

Alda said that the most challenging moment of her time fostering is when she had 2 foster kids and they had to go back so quickly, alda says " its very challenging saying goodbye because my family treats them as family, so its like a family member leaving." Alda's day is made when she see's the kids faces and see them smiling and they feel good about being at her house. Alda gets frustrated because since DCF is such a big organization, that when ever she needs to talk to them and tries to call them she can never get a hold of them, she also thinks that the DCF workers are overworked, Alda also gets frustrated at judges and lawyers because whenever a kid doesn't need to be fostered, the judges and lawyers do not care about the foster parents. Alda says the most rewarding thing is when she sees the kids being productive and happy, Alda thinks that she is going to be fostering in the future, she keeps going back to fostering because she loves kids and she needs something to offer them, " there isn't a child that I haven't loved" says Alda