DENVER — Kendall Gizinski lives in a quiet neighborhood in Erie. Her home is anything but.
Every day, Gizinski tries to shepherd Alex, Carla and Damien — three siblings who came into her life in the most hectic way.
“They were an emergency placement,” said Gizinski. “I got the call, and two hours later, they were at my front door.”
A rough start
The State of Colorado took Alex, Carla and Damien away from their birth parents in 2022. The trio was suffering from medical neglect, and their birth parents were recovering from substance abuse.
The children were in need of an immediate foster home, and Gizinski was happy to take them as an emergency replacement.
Gizinski always knew she would be a foster mother. As a child, she’d pretend that her toy dolls were foster children. As an adult, she’s fostered 20 children.
In the case of Alex, Carla and Damien, the severe trauma of their placement made it difficult for Gizinski to get close.
“I woke up and a police officer was just shaking me,” Alex recalled. “It was really scary.”