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(Paramus, NJ) June 6, 2005 - Born to a mother unable to care for him because of her unfortunate circumstances and limited resources, Danny suffered from developmental delays in his motor skills. He had trouble grasping toys, sucking from a bottle, and making eye contact, normal achievements for most babies. Six years later, Danny is thriving in school, has loads of friends, and has a passion for athletics, including football, basketball, baseball, soccer, and tennis. How vastly different his life could have been were it not for the tremendous love and care he received from his adoptive family, the Burkes.
Danny was placed with the Burkes through northern New Jersey's Children's Aid and Family Services, Inc., "Boarder Babies" program, wherein foster families are found for infants whose mothers are unable to care for them for a variety of reasons, including substance abuse and homelessness. In the 1980s, Marsha Burke volunteered in a similar program for infants born with AIDS at St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center in Paterson. She joined the CAFS' program in 1999, and she possessed the skills and experience Danny needed, such as infant massage and stimulation, to help him overcome his tough beginning and progress.
The Burkes, who have lived in Glen Rock for 22 years, have a long history of helping vulnerable children. The couple met after college while both were group home counselors for foster children in Pennsylvania. After two years, Ted Burke moved on and joined the Callahan Company, where he is now president, because, as he half jokes, "God's work doesn't pay very well." However, while raising their three birth children, the Burkes still had a deep desire to help foster children. After they became foster parents in the CAFS' Boarder Babies program, several infants stayed with them for a few weeks at a time. All but Danny were either returned to their birth parents or joined adoptive families.
Danny's birth parents surrendered their parental rights when he was a toddler, and case managers from the agency facilitated the adoption on behalf of the Burkes. The couple was in love with the child and eager to start the adoption process, but they needed to first discuss it with their children Kathleen, Ed, and Bridget, then aged 21, 19, and 17, respectively. "My children absolutely adore Danny, and Kathleen actually said if we didn't adopt him, she would," says Mr. Burke. "The adoption became official in 2001, and although it hadn't been part of our life plan, it's been an extremely positive life-changing experience for the family. Danny's just an absolute joy, and overcame his initial developmental delays to become a star in our family."
Mr. and Mrs. Burke are passionate advocates for adoption, and have recruited friends to serve as Boarder Baby foster parents. Further, when they learned that Danny's birth mother had another child in foster care, they intervened to have her adopted by Mr. Burke's cousin. "My cousin lives in Pennsylvania, and she and her husband have wanted a child for years," Mr. Burke says. "When Marsha learned Danny's sister needed a family, she helped navigate them through the adoption process. It was a tremendous undertaking because two state agencies were involved, but it's a huge victory for our family. Danny and his sister see each other regularly and enjoy a close natural sibling relationship, which is too often a rarity for adopted children."
Additionally, Mr. Burke lends his talents as a videographer to Children's Aid and Family Services, most recently donating his time and equipment to film several children available for adoption and made digital video clips of them for the agency's website, www.cafsnj.org. "I'm convinced the website is a powerful tool to use to recruit prospective adoptive parents," Mr. Burke says. "Seeing these children on video talking about school, what they like to eat, games they like to play...is wonderful. The children's personalities shine through, and they're all so engaging. I'm committed to helping Children's Aid and Family Services spread its message, which is every child deserves a forever home."
"Ted is a tremendous asset to our agency, and has given so much to us," says Rose Zeltser, senior vice president, child welfare. "He and Marsha are model adoptive parents: Devoted, loving, and keenly interested in their children. They've made a huge difference in the lives of many children, and we're extremely fortunate to count them as friends of the agency."
Children's Aid and Family Services, Inc. is one of the largest regional, nonprofit human services organizations serving northern New Jersey. The agency is fully accredited and has more than 100 years of experience in building futures for children, families, and communities. Its mission is to help children, families, and communities to heal, to learn, and to grow.
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