Andrea and Greg Seay Win the 2023 Vivienne Campbell Foster Parent of the Year Award
In Massachusetts alone, there are around 10,000 youth in foster care. These youth need the support of safe, consistent adults who will protect and nurture them during a time of great uncertainty in their lives. Foster families answer this call by opening their homes and hearts to care for youth in foster care.
Greg and Andrea Seay
Each year, Bridges Homeward recognizes foster parents who go above and beyond as caregivers with the Vivienne Campbell Award. Parents who receive this award show dedication to making the youth in their care feel extra loved and welcomed. Their foster homes are consistently stable, nurturing environments where youth can thrive and be themselves. This year, the award goes to Andrea and Greg Seay!
The Seays specialize in fostering teenagers and demonstrate great skill in doing so. This is special because there are often not enough foster homes for teens who need them. Andrea and Greg understand how important stability is to an adolescent who has experienced so much uncertainty in the past. Parenting a teenager is not an easy task, but this foster family takes time to get to know their youth’s interests, strengths and needs and tailors their parenting approach accordingly. Through patience, encouragement and humor, these foster parents help their teens gain the confidence to take on new challenges.
The Seays are very committed to supporting permanent connections for the youth they care for. They regularly coordinate visits for their teens with family members, mentors, and other committed adults. At the same time, they try to make the youth feel like they are a part of their family by bringing them along to family gatherings and celebrations.
“Parenting a teenager is not an easy task, but Andrea and Greg take the time to get to know their youth’s interests, strengths and needs. ”
The Seays regularly go above and beyond out of love for the teens they foster. One example of this is how they attend every family event they are invited to. Whether it is family day at the teen’s afterschool program, an awards ceremony at school or a family event organized by Bridges Homeward, you can always count on Andrea and Greg to be there to support and cheer on their teen!
Foster families are ordinary families who chose to do something extraordinary. Most of their days are messy, beautiful and heart-breaking, full of joy, laughter and tears. Good foster parents love not only the children they care for, but also the families those children come from. Bridges Homeward is honored to work alongside incredible foster families like Andrea and Greg.