Spotlight: Dave and Beth Ratliff, Foster Parents, The Villages

Dave and Beth Ratliff have opened their homes to large sibling groups for five years as foster parents for The Villages. Currently, the couple is in the process of adopting five siblings who have been in their care for nearly two years. Despite their growing family, the Indianapolis couple does not rule out the possibility of foster parenting more children in the future.

“Down the road, we would be open to considering buying a larger home for emergency placement for large groups of foster siblings,” said Dave Ratliff. “We want to provide kids in foster care with a good family and good transition to the next phase in their lives.”

1. Please share your journey as a foster parent with The Villages. It all started with Verlin Rice, who worked at The Villages, and was a mentor when I was in college. We went to the same church when Beth and I lived in Fort Wayne. He often shared about his work at The Villages and the children he served. The more we learned about The Villages, the more we became interested in foster parenting. Beth and I put a lot of thought into things we do as a family, but we trusted Verlin and believed The Villages was the best and only choice.
2. What has been your most rewarding experience as a foster parent? There are so many, but the most recent is our 2-year-old son, who came to us non-verbal, just starting to talk and called me “da-da.” It brought me to tears.
3. Please share anything else you’d like to add about The Villages’ children and families, Villages’ team or any other comments you have. Our care team at The Villages has been phenomenal. They are the most caring people you can imagine. The team at The Villages listens and cares. I can’t say enough good things. I always recommend the organization to friends who are considering foster parenting.