National group names local woman Mother of the Year

Henderson mom raises seven children, fosters many others

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Henderson resident Laurie Richardson's road to being recognized as the 2006 National Mother of the Year began rather unexpectedly 29 years ago.

As she and her husband, Sullivan, sat in a California church with their 2-year-old daughter, an announcement was made regarding three little boys, ages 2, 4 and 6, who needed a foster family.

"It was the Christmas holidays, and their mom was just getting out of jail," Laurie said. "When they made the announcement, my heart started to pound and a feeling of warmth came over me, and I thought 'I can do this. We can do this.' "

At the time, Laurie was 22 years old and Sullivan was almost 26.

After volunteering to take the boys, Laurie feared she and her husband would be considered too young for the job.

As it happened, her fears were for nothing. The Richardson's took charge of the three boys, and looked after them for the next year. In the following three decades, the couple has raised seven children, four of whom were adopted, and provided foster care to a good deal more.

Last month, Laurie was named the 2006 National Mother of the Year by American Mothers Inc.

Though she was surprised to win the award, those who serve as both her biggest fans and toughest critics -- her children -- were not.

"I think it's amazing," said Laurie's son Jacob. "But I think I knew she was going to win from the start."

Susan Leavitt, president of the Nevada Association of American Mothers Inc., said this is the first time a mother from Nevada has been selected for the national award since the Nevada chapter was formed more than 60 years ago.

"Laurie was nominated by a business in town, and she was nominated because she has been a tremendous mom to three birth children, and she has fostered many, many children in California and Nevada," Leavitt said. "Of those children, she has adopted four."

Laurie also works as a children's advocate through Clark County Legal Services. She said one of the most important things for her as a mother has been making sure her three biological children, Shelley, Emily and Jeff and her four adopted children, Chrissy, Mary, Jacob and Zach all felt loved.

"My birth children played an essential role in making it work," she said. "We never took a new foster child without asking the other children what they thought. It helps with the balance in your life -- if you start to feel your kids are a little too spoiled, in walks a kid with nothing."

She said it still hasn't always been easy. When she and Sullivan took charge of their first three foster children, Laurie started to have doubts before she even got them home.

"We drove 2 1/2 hours to pick up the boys, and when we got them they had rags on and they smelled atrocious and they acted out of control, but there was no turning back," she said. "We took them home and cleaned them up, and for a long time they would kick and bite and scratch and use terrible language."

During the year Laurie and Sullivan cared for the boys, Laurie read every child psychology book she could find. Then she would tell Sullivan about the things she read, and together they would try to implement those ideas.

"The boys finally started to come together, and they would behave and they were nice and loving, and then it was time for them to go with their mom," Laurie said. "I cried so much when they were gone, and I said to my husband 'We have to do this again,' and he said 'Yes, we do.' "

During the next 28 years, Laurie and her husband took charge of one or sometimes two foster children at a time, and occasionally took breaks from serving as foster parents.

"It has been the greatest experience of our marriage," Laurie said. "We have had to learn to work together and to know our roles as mom and dad and know each other."

Laurie and Sullivan's experiences as foster parents have changed with each child as well.

The couple didn't adopt their daughter Mary until she was in her early 20s, though they began caring for her when she was 10 years old.

"She came from a family of 13 kids, and she had a very strong bond with her family," Laurie said. "We knew that bond was important, and it wasn't the right time to actually adopt her until she was married and had a child of her own."

Laurie and Sullivan's other adopted daughter Chrissy came to them when she was 15, while Jacob was not yet a year old and their 14-year-old son Zach was 2 years old.

One of Laurie's most intimidating tasks as a foster mother was the first stages of caring for her 16-year-old son Jacob.

"With Jacob, we got a call to take a drug baby, and it was something we had never done," Laurie said. "He was born addicted to cocaine, heroin and barbiturates. His mother admitted she shot up before giving birth to ease the pain."

After Jacob was born, he was given phenobarbital for 10 days, then was turned over to the care of a nurse for detox.

"When we first brought him home, he was very lethargic, but at the time we had four kids at home and there was a lot of excitement, which he needed," she said.

As a baby Jacob suffered from withdrawals and didn't begin to smile or make eye contact until he was about a year old, and he was slow to speak.

Early on Laurie worried that Jacob, like many drug babies, might be autistic or mentally retarded. He is not, though he does still deal with a minor learning disability.

Laurie began her work as a children's advocate in the mid-'90s, after the family moved from California to the Las Vegas Valley and it was time for Jacob to start school.

She worked with a Clark County School District employee to ensure that Jacob received the help he needed to succeed in the classroom.

Laurie worked for the Clark County school district as a parent mentor for about four years, and eventually started working for Clark County Legal Services for the Children's Attorney Project. The project helps provide foster children and other children in state care with a voice during legal proceedings.

As for her National Mother of the Year award, Laurie hopes to help more children, and bring attention to the need for foster and adoptive parents, as well as children's advocates. She said she hopes her own story will encourage those who are unsure to get involved with the foster care system.

American Mothers Inc. was established 71 years ago by a woman named Anna Jarvis. During the Civil War, Anna's mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, felt the war was tearing families apart, and sought to establish a mother's friendship day to bring families together.

In 1905, Anna began a campaign to establish a national mother's day.

In 1914 Woodrow Wilson recognized the day as a national holiday, and Mother's Day was set for the second Sunday of May.

"American Mothers Inc. began as a way to honor mothers from every state," Leavitt said. "Our mission is to recognize all mothers, and how important mothers are to our nation and our nation's family."

Leavitt said anyone can be involved with American Mothers Inc., even those without children. To be nominated as a national or state mother, Leavitt said a woman must have a marriage recognized by the state, as well as at least one natural or adopted child, and must raise their children in a way that will make them an "asset to the community."

Laurie said she and her husband have tried to do just that by instilling within each of their children a strong sense of self and belief in God.

She also hopes to encourage more community members to get involved with foster parenting.

"Don't wait until you're a perfect parent, but be the best parent you can be," she said. "Bring in one child, and then eventually bring in another."

Laurie also stressed that there are many ways to be involved without becoming a foster parent. She said Child Haven, the county and the school district could all use the help of volunteers.

"People are afraid of adopting a teen or a 10-year-old, and you know they might need therapy, but so do other people -- we could probably all use a little therapy. But you work with what you've got, and these kids have really made successes out of tough times in life."

Laurie's mothering methods seem to be paying off. Her daughter Emily recently adopted a child, and both Jacob and Zach said they would one day like to become adoptive parents as well.

"Adopting me and being somewhat strict, in a good way, is one of the most important things she's done," Zach said. "Hopefully I'll take my mom's kindness and outgoingness when I'm a parent."

Added Jacob, "She makes a lot of sacrifices for me and Zach, to be there for us."