Debbie Van Leuven -Agape’s Foster Family of the Year
Debbie has fostered for Agape since 2002 and cared for seven youth in that time. Of those seven, she adopted one of the children (after fostering him for nearly three years). Debbie has always had such a sweet spirit and a good disposition; she states often that fostering has never been about her own needs, it has been about what she felt God expected her to do. Each child she has cared for has been different having different needs. With each situation, Debbie prayerfully committed to them and celebrated many small accomplishments with each child (such as the premature infant she cared for over only two weeks and nurtured him to gain two pounds in that short time). I cannot recall any time when Agape called on Debbie about a child needing a home when she did not say yes (and without hesitation). Debbie is a single foster mom who also happens to have a precious daughter, Callie who has Down’s Syndrome. They live in Munford but, Debbie has always made it a point to make sure the children in her care got to all necessary appointments, visits, etc. in Memphis, and she has worked well with biological families in the past. Debbie is committed to children….a number of us know that Debbie changed her worked schedule to be able to work on weekends only so that she could be as available as possible for Callie during the week…..she has really made sacrifices for children.
Tags: Agape, Debbie Van Leuven, Foster, Memphis