By Farrah Mina, Photo: Darlene and Curtis Bell, The Imprint, March 29, 2022
When longtime foster parents Darlene and Curtis Bell welcomed four kids into their home in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota,they took a crash-course in preparing pepper soup and fufu. And within 24 hours of arriving at the Bells’ place, the siblings were served their favorite dishes.
Learning about the foods they loved from the children’s Nigerian mother provided critical information to help the siblings feel welcomed and comforted. To prepare the dishes, the husband and wife team reached out to Nigerian friends and neighbors. And they, too, became part of smoothing the children’s transition to foster care.
“The kids were just overjoyed that they had this network of aunties that knew their language, knew their culture, were a part of their culture and that me and my husband were connected,” Darlene Bell said. “It was huge for the kids.”
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