Father’s Day for foster parent Wesley Cooper is a time of appreciation.

Cooper and his family have fostered eight children over the past three years and adopted the last little girl they fostered.

“My wife, Rachel, had a family member who went into the foster care system when she was young,” Cooper said. “So, it was always something that we always considered. It is just something God put in my heart. So, we went after it.”

He said that the overall process to become a foster parent is worth it in the long run.

“They are very in depth with the process,” Cooper said. “But everything is for the betterment of the child. It helps you become prepared to take care of this child.”

The biggest thing about being a father for his children and his foster children is that he hopes to impact their lives in a positive way.

“Even if it is for a short amount of time,” Cooper said. “I’m hoping that by gaining some of these children coming from these broken homes, that I will be a light in their life.”

Even though they have adopted a little girl, Cooper and his family still plan on fostering as many kids as they can.

“In Covington County they give a six-month period after you adopt until you can foster another child,” Cooper said. “But after that, we will definitely keep on fostering.”

Cooper said that after receiving the little girl they adopted, his wife and family fell in love with her.

“She was abandoned at the hospital,” Cooper said. “When we went down to visit her, she had been in the hospital for two months and was born premature. When they had gotten ready to release her, there was no body there. The mother and father had abandoned her. The hospital had to contact DHR, so we have had her since the hospital. We are the only parents that she has ever known. We have just fell in love with her, and we didn’t want her to go anywhere until adoption was available.”

For families that are looking to foster, Cooper absolutely recommends it.

“A lot of people, I guess, don’t think about other children and it’s easy to think that everybody has a perfect lifestyle,” Cooper said. “But the truth of the matter is that they don’t. If we can be a blessing to those children, I would say that we should absolutely consider it, so that we could impact lives. I’m a pastor, so the scripture’s whole purpose is for the people. It is our goal to reach out and to help people. Just thinking that other children don’t have what my children have hurts me.”

Not only does Father’s Day mean to show appreciation to Earthly fathers, Cooper said, it is a time to appreciate the spiritual father.

“All of us have received blessings from the Lord,” Cooper said. “When we receive those blessings, I think it is our due diligence to turn around and bless other people as well.”