RICHLANDS, N.C. (WECT) – The Floyd family was already large with a mom, dad and five biological children. But when they started fostering through Boys and Girls Homes, they found their family, and their hearts, nearly doubling in size.

Most people would consider five children a lot. John and Marietta Floyd now have 10.

“Lindsey, Logan, Spencer, Bryce, Landon, Chase, Karter, Kahl, Lauren, and Lizzie,” Marietta said. “The children range from age 33 down to 3.”

John and Marietta Floyd never dreamed their list of children would be that long.

“We joked when me and my wife got married, I said I wanted 10 kids. But that was 35 years ago,” John said.

From hesitation to heartstrings

They started with five biological children, but then a friend from church started telling them they would be great at fostering.

With a full-time job as a schoolteacher, Marietta didn’t think it would be possible.

“For four years, this is what I heard from her and my husband that we should foster, and I told her no,” Marietta said. “It was not something that I thought I could ever do because I couldn’t send them back home. You fall in love with them.”

But then, Marietta’s friend tugged at her heartstrings and told her Boys and Girls Homes of North Carolina had babies without fostering placements.

“I just told my husband, I said, ‘Okay, it’s time,’” she said.

‘Foster fails’ become family

Some of that fostering then turned into adoptions. As Marietta would affectionately call them, her five “foster fails” have now completed her family. Many of them have been living with her as long as they can remember.

“Been with us ever since he came to our house at two days old,” she said about one of her children.

As you can imagine, with three adopted boys and two adopted girls, it can be chaos.

“We stay busy all the time. I was busy already, but it stays even busier,” Marietta said.

“Makes my hair greyer and falls out, but I wouldn’t change it,” John said.

But that chaos pales in comparison to their laughter and love.

“They all didn’t grow under my heart, but they all grew in it,” Marietta said. “They just need love, and they need to know that somebody’s going to fight for them. We’ve tried to provide them with love and stability when they come in. It’s not always easy, but you just do the best you can.”

Making it work

Marietta said making excuses not to foster would have been easy, but working with an organization like Boys and Girls Homes made it simple.

“They were there every step of the way,” Marietta said. “If we had issues, all I had to do was call, and they would handle things,” she said. “Everybody’s busy. Everybody’s life has a lot going on. You just take a chance and open your heart and your home up and see if it works for you.”

“It’s not hard. The easiest thing you can give is love,” John said.

And as for whether or not they can picture more foster fails in their future:

“Oh, it’s definitely complete. No more, no more,” Marietta said.

That’s why it’s on people like you to take a chance, just like the Floyds did.

To learn more about volunteering, fostering or adoption opportunities through Boys and Girls Homes of North Carolina, click here.

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