AND FAMILY ADDS THREE VETERAN FOSTER MOM RETIRING.

Byline: Peggy Hager Staff Writer

LANCASTER - After caring for 59 foster children over 21 years, Mary Fink is retiring as a foster mother - and adopting three of her former charges.

Siblings Miles, 9, Madison, 7, and Marquita, 6, joined Fink's other adopted children Michelle, 18, Mark, 11, and Marnie, 8, and soon will get another adopted sibling: Fink's 3-year-old grandniece, Kara.

``I would have adopted all 59,'' said Fink. ``They're my kids the minute they walk through my door. So if they're not going to their biological family of some sort then they're not leaving my house. I had to retire this year or I'd have eight, or nine, or 10.''

Fink, 51, became a foster parent after a bout with cervical cancer precluded her from having children of her own.

``I wanted to be a mom so much and then I wanted to help children out there that needed a good home. I knew I could give any child a good home and love them and take the bumps as they went,'' Fink said. ``I get to be a mom. I couldn't have been one otherwise.''

Michelle has been with the family since she was 2 months old and was adopted when she was 6. Mark came at 5 months and was adopted at age 4. Marnie joined the Finks at 7 months and was adopted when she was 3.

Miles, Madison and Marquita came five years ago.

Fink still stays in contact with nearly all of her foster children. Her daughter Michelle wants to reunite them all for Fink's 55th birthday.

``It's so funny how all these years, they still remember me and I get cards and updated school pictures,'' said Fink, who also maintains relationships with her adopted children's biological relatives.

``They just know that they have that other family, the families that helped bring them into my arms,'' said Fink. ``My blessing was sadly enough their loss. If they didn't go back, then my blessing was I got to be a mom forever with that kid. And I've been blessed seven times.''

Fink gave the children names beginning with ``M'' to coincide with her husband's name, Michael, a construction worker.

When the three youngsters adopted Wednesday in a hearing before Commissioner Victor Reichman at the Antelope Valley courthouse first came into the Fink's home, only Marquita had a name beginning with M.

The two others complained they felt left out.

``I said, well, if you find an 'M' name you like and you learn how to spell it, we'll talk about it,'' Fink said.

Kara is named after a relative and will be the only child not to have an ``M'' name.

With seven children involved in school, sports and therapy sessions, Fink no longer has time to devote to foster children but she encourages others to do so.

``Retiring was hard; they're my friends and family. If someone has the time and has the love and has the room in their house to open their doors to a child that needs a place to go, for whatever reason, then they should do it because the rewards are wonderful. I mean, it's not always easy, but most of the rewards have outdone the bad days.''

Peggy Hager, [phone]

peggy.grimm-hager(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color -- ran in AV edition only) Mary Fink adopted siblings Madison, 7, left, Marquita, 6, and Miles, 9, Wednesday in an Antelope Valley court.

(2) Mary Fink of Lancaster, a 21-year foster mother, signs adoption papers for Madison, Marquita and Miles.

(3) Michael and Mary Fink, along with court Commissioner Victor Reichman, back row, pose with children Michelle, from left, Marnie, Kara, Miles, Madison, Marquita and Mark.

Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer