Love Will Find A Way: Veteran foster parent a testament to ‘life-changing’ calling

Barbara Love’s last name doesn’t completely fuel her desire to foster children. Her devotion springs first from empathy.

The Memphian and former schoolteacher has nurtured over 80 kids in various fostering roles – including six through Meritan Specialized Foster Care. “I just want to help them, I want to direct them toward reaching success,” Love said.

Barbara Love is devoted to helping children see their potential despite difficult obstacles they have no control over. Having an open heart is a major key to successful fostering, she insists.

Her motivation derives from her childhood when others falsely convinced her she held limits. Love saw how her own horizons could be reached only when she got older.

She doesn’t want children, especially those coming from difficult circumstances, to be shielded from that promise.

Love noted kids today need to learn conflict resolution. She leans on her spiritual learning from seminary and work as a Life Coach for troubled adults through the court system for guidance.

She knows, “How to push the right buttons,” Love said.

“You must have open minds and open hearts, and when things go wrong find a way to forgive,” she said about her parent modeling.

A 12-year-old boy named David was the first of many children Love fostered starting around 2008. He now lives out of town but comes to her home for the holidays as do many other of her kids.

“I never separate my role as a mama,” from their true mother, Love stressed. “Whenever I go out with them, I hear people say your kids are so beautiful.”

“I reply with, ‘Thank you!’”

The veteran foster care provider had advice for those considering becoming foster parents, saying the experiences assuredly will have good times and hard times. She advocated that an important move is to listen closely during foster training because “what they tell you then will likely happen.”

“Fostering children, it’s life-changing,” she said. “By seeing your kids become happy, it makes you happy.”