A crackling fire, a spooky story, a toe dipped in a chilly creek, it’s all magic for kids who go camping.
You can launder away the lingering scent of campfire smoke, but memories last. For kids in the Northwest, camping is practically a birthright. For
foster children, it’s an all-too-rare experience.
Arlington foster parent Deena Parra never tires of seeing children enjoy the outdoors for the first time.
“It’s absolute wonder,” said Parra, 46. She and her husband, Antonio, have a 16-year-old son, a 3-year-old daughter they adopted after being her foster parents, and an infant foster child. Foster parents for a decade, they have helped raise about 18 foster children, most under age 4.
Always, they have taken their foster kids camping. For this Fourth of July, they’ve planned an outing to Washington Park in Anacortes.
“Camping makes them part of the family. I think it brings everybody closer together,” Parra said. “Going to a creek, seeing little fish, stuff like that is so fascinating, especially for the younger ones. ‘What’s this? What’s this?’ Their questions never stop,” she added.
This year, in time to help offset sky-high gas prices, a new state law gives foster families a break on camping expenses. The law waives camping fees in state parks for foster parents licensed through the state Department of Social and Health Services Children’s Administration.
Camping fees range from about $20 to $30 per night in state parks. The reservation fees of $7 to $9 are still required. The law also covers unlicensed caregivers, often relatives, who have foster children in their homes.
Deborah Schow, a DSHS spokeswoman, said the agency has had many calls from foster parents who have already taken advantage of the fee cut. Campsites in popular state parks book up months in advance, but some still have midweek openings.
“Foster parents are universally delighted to have this. So many foster kids have never been camping. It’s a bonding experience,” Schow said. “Maybe they’ve never seen a fish in a lake. The sorts of things lots of kids take for granted, some of these kids haven’t gotten to experience.”
Parra is not only a foster mother, she works for Fostering Together, an organization associated with Olive Crest, which contracts with the state to recruit and retain foster parents. Parra helps run a support group for foster parents.
She and her husband became foster parents during their quest to adopt. After seven years as foster parents, they adopted their daughter Ashlee. Their son Nick was an only child until he was 13.
“We’re so blessed to have our daughter,” Parra said. “We continue to be foster parents; we have a home that can support one or two more little kids.”
Parra said foster children come from every income level and cultural background. “You never know what they’ve been through,” she said. “Camping seems to be universal, even with preteens and teens. It’s a unique experience.”
Having long ago given up tent camping, the family now has a travel trailer. They camp year-round, including their extended family and going to ocean beaches, inland lakes and destinations in between.
“The kind of attention you give kids while you’re camping, it’s life-lasting,” Parra said.
“It’s a great opportunity for foster parents,” Schow said. “It takes the whole family and makes them a family.”
Columnist Julie Muhlstein: 425-339-3460 or muhlstein@heraldnet.com.
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