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Mary Margaret Clark (Schultheis)
A few months ago, I posted a request for prayers for my daughter & son-in-law who were in a custody struggle for the right to adopt Ray, the child they have fostered since his birth 3 years ago. On Thursday, he officially became my adopted grandson. For those who offered any prayers on my family's behalf, I want you to thank you and share with you how your prayers have been answered.
January 11, 2026 SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE
CATHOLIC TIMES 7
Foster mother wants to help ease concerns about process
daughter all have been actively involved
By Tim Puet
For The Catholic Times
in the lives of 5-year-old Gianna, 3-year-
old Ray and the other children for whom
the family has cared.
“Be not afraid!”
It’s a phrase used often in Scripture.
Jesus said it to his disciples when He ap-
proached them walking on water. It’s as-
sociated with every appearance of an an-
gel in the Old and New Testaments. It also
was used often by Pope St. John Paul II.
It’s the same message Stephanie Baird
and a ministry with which she is associ-
ated, Springs of Love, have for prospective
foster parents.
Baird has been a foster parent of four
children for extended periods, has adopt-
ed one of them and was scheduled to com-
plete the adoption process for a second on
Thursday, Jan. 8. She has been involved
with Springs of Love for several years and
is starting a chapter of the organization at
her parish, Columbus Immaculate Con-
ception.
“I’ve talked to many couples about fos-
tering and there’s understandably a lot
of concern about the process because it’s
not simple and there can be a lot of bar-
riers to overcome,” Baird said. “Springs of
Love helps people discern not to be afraid
of the process and helps them feel more
comfortable with the whole idea.
“I’m not sure that I’ve helped any other
couples become foster parents, but I’ve
heard indications that this is what hap-
pened in a couple of cases. I also know of
many people who have at least been in-
spired to do more about looking into being
foster parents through Springs of Love.
“The familiar saying is that ‘it takes a
village to raise a child’ and I’ve certainly
found that to be true in our own case. Be-
ing a foster parent has impacted a whole
community of people who have been in-
volved with my foster daughter Gianna
and Ray, who is about to become my foster
son.
“They’ve followed the paths of all the
children I’ve had in foster care to see
where those paths have led. The result has
been a lot of unexpected joy for us and for
them because we’ve been willing to see
where the journey takes us.”
Baird; her husband, Joe; their 21- and
18-year-old sons and their 15-year-old
“This has helped the older children
understand the struggles so many fami-
lies face,” she said. “And it’s brought so
many blessings to our family. It’s opened
our hearts to help many people who need
hope. I just hope they feel some sort of im-
pact from our care.”
Besides the four children the Bairds
have hosted for extended periods, they’ve
cared for several others for two days to
two weeks or more to give other foster
parents a respite.
Baird said she became a foster parent
through her work as a labor and delivery
nurse. She now is a care coordinator in a
clinic for pregnant young women at Na-
tionwide Children’s Hospital.
“I’d see what would happen to children
born to mothers addicted to drugs and
knew they probably would go into foster
care while their mothers were in rehabili-
tation,” she said. “The moms in many of
those cases don’t make it through rehab,
so they can get their children back.
“I was involved in pro-life activities and
realized being a foster parent would be a
way to put my pro-life beliefs into action,
to practice what I’ve been preaching.”
She said her husband had doubts about
the idea but got on board after attending a
training class with her and seeing a docu-
mentary about foster care.
Both took classes to become foster par-
ents at the Bair Foundation in suburban
Dayton. They also completed a home
study, submitted references and back-
ground checks, had their home inspected
for fire hazards and other safety issues
and went through 24 hours of pre-place-
ment training.
Their first placement was a boy named
Deon, who stayed with them for a year
before being adopted by a member of his
family. They have stayed in touch with the
adoptive mother and are Deon’s godpar-
ents.
He was baptized at the same time as Gi-
anna, whom they adopted at birth and is
now in preschool. “She’s smart, energetic,
is meeting all her growth goals and will be
playing soccer in the fall. And she loves
The Baird family
Ray,” Baird said.
“Ray’s a great little guy who has thrived
under our care,” she said. “There was one
point where I thought he was going to be
removed and placed with a different fam-
ily, but that decision was reversed. I can’t
explain why that change happened, but
it came on the day of my mother-in-law’s
death, so maybe it’s a sign.
“Many prayers have been said on his be-
half. Through our involvement in foster
care, I’ve seen what I consider to be many
miracles occurring through families be-
ing strengthened and friendships being
made.”
On its website, Springs of Love, the
organization the Bairds are starting at
Immaculate Conception, describes its
mission as “to rise up more Catholic fos-
ter and adoptive families and to support
those touched by fostering and adoption
through educational programming, small
groups and parish care teams.”
It’s based in Mount Vernon and was
founded by foster and adoptive parents
Greg and Kimberly Henkel of Mount Ver-
non St. Vincent de Paul Church. It’s a sis-
ter organization of Springs in the Desert,
an apostolate that accompanies parents
struggling with infertility. The two com-
bine to raise awareness of the need for
loving families for the more than 400,000
children in foster care and countless chil-
dren in need around the world.
Critical to the mission of Springs of Love
is establishing care teams in parishes who
will provide for the material needs of chil-
dren in care, offer wrap-around support
to foster families (including prayer, meals,
child care, rides and mentoring), host fos-
ter and adoption awareness events and
inspire more Catholics to consider foster-
ing and adopting. According to Springs
of Love, the 50 percent retention rate for
fostering families increases to 90 percent
when they are supported by a care team.
In April, Baird said she will be present-
ing a Springs of Love video series titled
“Building and Belonging” at Immaculate
Conception. The series will highlight sto-
ries of those who have been in the foster
care system and of those who find joy,
even amid pain, through fostering and
adopting.
She said the videos are in the Augustine
Institute’s Formed series, which many
parishes offer to their members, and have
been seen on EWTN television. Baird also
has done a podcast on foster parenting for
Ohio Right to Life.
Springs of Love also has supported fos-
ter families by providing them with gift
cards and household items and is plan-
ning a documentary on foster care and
adoption.
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Sr. Thomas art as mentioned in Monica's post above. 
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