SHE'S BEEN FOSTERING LOVE FOR 36 YEARS.Byline: DENNIS McCARTHY Dennis McCarthy may refer to:
MOM is retiring. No more changing diapers, or walking the floor at 3 a.m. with a crying baby. No more reading bedtime stories bedtime story n. A story that is read or told to a child just before bedtime. , attending PTA PTA or parent-teacher association: see parent education. meetings or supervising Cub Scout sleepovers. Rita Prechtl is finally ready for that cruise. She was the only woman at her 50th high school reunion High School Reunion
For the last 36 years, this remarkable 72-year-old Granada Hills woman has opened her home to more than 75 foster care children who needed some love. Their own parents either couldn't or didn't want them. Rita and Robert Prechtl did. Some kids stayed a few weeks, some a few months or even years, until they were adopted. Only Jonathan Compton stayed from infancy to high school graduation. He was 6 weeks old when the county social worker called and asked Rita if she had room for one more. Of course, Rita said. Bring him over. ``He was a preemie, weighed all of 4 pounds,'' she recalled. ``They tried to find him a permanent home, even put him on TV with other foster children, but nobody called for him. ``Back then, the county had about 100 African-American children in the system they couldn't find a home for. So, Jonathan stayed with us. When he turned 10, he told the judge he wanted to stay with us permanently.'' It wasn't a tough call, Jonathan said Friday after getting home Getting Home (Simplified Chinese: 落叶归根; Traditional Chinese: 落葉歸根; Pinyin: from Kennedy High School, where he is a senior. Even at age 10, he could see the truth. No matter how many times the county called his mom, she always had room for one more. And it didn't make a difference what color or nationality they were, or if they were physically or mentally challenged. ``She loved them all,'' Jonathan said. ``That's what makes my parents so special.'' His parents, Rita and Robert, who's now "Who's Now" was a daily series aired during SportsCenter throughout July 2007, in which viewers helped ESPN determine the ultimate sports star by considering both on-field success and off-field buzz. 76. When Jonathan was taken off the county rolls - after the judge ruled he could stay with the Prechtls until he turned 18 - the couple figured the next logical step was to adopt him themselves. They had four children of their own, but all had already left the nest. The timing was right for one more to call their own. One more who would stay until he went off to college, too. They weren't ready, though, for the curve Jonathan threw them. ``He wanted to know if adopting him meant he had to change his last name from 'Compton' to 'Prechtl,''' Rita said, laughing. ``He said, if it was all right with us, he'd rather keep the name 'Compton' because 'Prechtl' was too hard to say and spell.'' Jonathan laughs about it now, too. ``What really matters is they wanted me when no one else did,'' he said. ``They raised me. They're my parents, and I love them.'' After the last two foster children left their home in March - two baby brothers - Rita told Robert she thought it was time. She didn't want to have to hire a baby sitter for her 60th high school reunion, too. The news was not well received at Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County's Department of Children and Family Services, which places foster care children in temporary homes. ``This will be a huge loss for us,'' said Nancy Sandler, the Prechtls' social worker. ``They are so amazing a·maze v. a·mazed, a·maz·ing, a·maz·es v.tr. 1. To affect with great wonder; astonish. See Synonyms at surprise. 2. Obsolete To bewilder; perplex. v.intr. and special. Rita still gets dozens of Mother's Day cards every year from children she cared for over the years. ``They're probably the longest-running foster-care couple in the county. For 36 years, they've nurtured and loved 77 children for as long as it took until they were adopted. Jonathan didn't want to leave them - that says it all. ``We're all so sad around here to see them go.'' So is she, Rita said, but it's time It's Time was a successful political campaign run by the Australian Labor Party (ALP) under Gough Whitlam at the 1972 election in Australia. Campaigning on the perceived need for change after 23 years of conservative (Liberal Party of Australia) government, Labor put forward a . Jonathan will graduate this spring from Kennedy High and plans to attend Pierce College In 2006 the Library won a national Excellence award. Academics Pierce College offers associate's degrees, mainly in the arts and sciences. There are also certificate programs in early childhood education, social services, dental hygienist, and others. before going on to a four-year institution, to major in art. There's only one more thing she has to do as a foster mom before he turns 18 in June - help him with his project to earn his Eagle Scout Ea·gle Scout n. One who has achieved the highest rank in the Boy Scouts. Noun 1. Eagle Scout - a Boy Scout who has earned many merit badges Boy Scout - a boy who is a member of the Boy Scouts merit badge. The baby who showed up at her front door at 6 weeks old and stayed through high school is collecting children's books for other foster kids to read. There are some empty bookshelves at the Children and Family Services office in North Hollywood that he noticed when he and Rita went to see his caseworker. ``When there were books on the shelves, they were usually old and torn,'' Jonathan said. ``I want to fill those shelves with new books, good books See how to find a good computer book. , for all the foster care kids to read and take with them if they want.'' Why should they not have the best - just like other kids, he wondered. Rita smiled and hugged her son. She's proud of him and counts her blessings that he told that judge eight years ago he wanted to stay. Even at 10, the kid could see the truth. There wasn't a better mother and father out there than the ones he already had. A drop-off site for book donations has been set up in the lobby of the Century 21 All Moves office at 11011 Balboa Blvd., Granada Hills. Dennis McCarthy, (818) 713-3749 dennis.mccarthy(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Jonathan Compton hugs his adoptive a·dop·tive adj. 1. a. Of or having to do with adoption. b. Characteristic of adoption. 2. Related by adoption: mom, Rita Prechtl, who, with her husband, recently retired from foster parenting after 36 years. David Sprague/Staff Photographer |
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