Every day, parents across South Carolina work to improve the lives of their families, neighbors and communities. One of those parents is Takia Daniels.
Takia Daniels and her husband, Christopher.
Takia lives in Georgetown, South Carolina, and is a mom to her 7-year-old foster child. She is a certified community health worker at Tidelands Health and a Triple P (Positive Parenting Program) practitioner.
Takia has been a therapeutic foster parent for over five years. Therapeutic foster care differs from traditional foster care because it serves children and youth with complex challenges who require more resources and support.
Takia recently shared her parenting journey and why she became a foster mom.
What does being a therapeutic foster parent mean to you?
It means I am able to provide a safe home with structure for a child that has been displaced from their biological family. To take care of them to the best of my ability and fight for things that they need, such as therapy, stability and different resources.
Why did you decide to become a foster parent?
I decided to become a foster parent because, growing up, I was a rebellious teen. During my teen years, I had to go live with my biological father and his fiancé, who at the time was a foster parent. So, I got to see different children come into the home who had been displaced from their biological families. I heard their stories and watched their journeys. I saw how she took care of them and nurtured them until they were able to reunify with their biological families, and that was something I always wanted to do: provide for foster children and support them.
What have you learned about yourself from being a parent?
I learned to give myself grace and to know that sometimes I will make mistakes as well. To be a voice for not only my child but any child that comes into foster care because their voices are oftentimes not heard. My job is to listen to what they need, what they want and to fight for them.
What’s your favorite game or activity to play with your child?
There’s so many! My child is a reader, so we like to go to the library, and I’ll have him read to me. He likes when I read to him and act out the different characters by changing my voice and making the story actually come to life.
Triple P is a parenting support program for parents that provides easy, practical strategies to help caregivers navigate challenges and build healthy relationships with their children. It is offered in Georgetown County by Tidelands Health, the local coordinating agency of the program, through a grant from Children’s Trust of South Carolina and The Duke Endowment. Learn more about Triple P in Georgetown.
