Photographer: Peggy Parks
The Goebel Family
The Goebel Family
Robin and Ray Goebel were foster parents for 19 years. As a child, Robin herself had had a younger foster sibling, so it was not difficult to see herself become a foster parent. The Goebels began foster parenting when their second child was about 18 months old. They have specialized in caring for medically fragile infants and have also fostered pregnant teens.
The Goebels eventually adopted several of their foster children. Robin says that they loved their foster children and wanted the best for them. For some of them, it was the right thing for them to stay, and become a permanent part of their family.