LAKE ODESSA, Mich. — According to the state DHHS, there are currently Michigan 13,000 kids in foster care. Over the last 56-years, hundreds of others have come through the Corwin and Kay Tischer’s home in Holland.
It all started in 1964, shortly after the couple married.
“We had a family member that had nine children and they were struggling, and we could see the needs,” said Corwin, “so we jumped in to help them out.”
Shortly after, the couple got their foster license from the state and kicked off a giving streak that lasted over 5-decades. Since then they’ve fostered somewhere between 200-300 kids – they never got a full count.
“There’s good in everybody, no matter who you are,” said Kay. “It’s worth it all.”
The couple has fostered for Honey Creek, Wedgwood and Bethany Christian Services over the years. They say they still speak with some of their foster kids and had as many as nine kids in their home at one time at the most. And they have some advice for parents thinking about entering the system and opening up their homes.
“We realized that this wasn’t going to work unless we were in it together,” said Corwin. “And so we’ve always based it that way. When one of us makes a decision we always stick together.”
