A boy holds the hand of his mother at a shelter for families displaced by gang violence at the Saint Yves Church in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on October 23, 2021. (Photo by Ricardo ARDUENGO / AFP) (Photo by RICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP via Getty Images)
Roommates, get into this! Emma Patterson has shared maternal love and care for at least 40 children in her Montogomery community. The Maryland resident is now 88 years old and retiring.
NBC Washington 4 reports that the “super” foster mom started welcoming kids into her home in the early 1980s. Patterson’s foster mom journey started with her biological children’s friends. She provided food and a safe place to stay when needed.
In her younger years, Emma welcomed two biological children and adopted two, along with fostering dozens.
“I was raised in a home where I was just loved and adored by my parents. So for a child not to experience that — not to have someone to love you and care for you and nurture you — I just felt awful,” Emma said.
Soon, the Maryland mother started fostering kids of all ages, from babies up to 10 years old and sometimes older. Madison Scott, for example, was only five months old when Ms. Patterson took her in. Scotts refers to Emma as “Nana” and credits her for his current college basketball career at the University of Mississippi.
“[Nana] took my mom in and took me in and treated us like we were her own. She’s loved us, she’s cared for us, she’s done everything,” Madison shared.
With the advancements in the world today, including technology, Nana Patterson says she can no longer keep up with the kiddos. Her last foster child is reportedly about to graduate from high school.
One thing remains true, though: Emma and her birth children and grandchildren loved the experience of fostering, NBC 4 reports.
Montogomery County Executive Marc Elrich recognized the former foster mom on the last day of Foster Appreciation Month, celebrated in May. According to WUSA 9, Emma’s home has impacted the childhoods of “college graduates, business owners, medical professionals, and accomplished athletes.”
Watch the local news coverage on the SUPER foster mom! Happy retirement, Ms. Patterson!
Teenagers, siblings, and children diagnosed with developmental, emotional, or behavioral needs are in urgent need of rehoming in the Montgomery County area. More information about fostering in that area can be found HERE.
