By Tom Iacuzio

Diana Watson Phillips was a retired teacher looking for a way to give back to the Richmond community.  

She wanted to continue to help children but didn’t want to find herself back in the classroom. That’s when, Diana said, she first came across an enCircle flyer for Transitional Foster Care. 

The Transitional program works with immigrant children who have entered the United States alone and are awaiting reunification with family or a sponsor already living here.  

But with many of our Transitional children coming from Spanish-speaking countries, Diana was concerned that not speaking the language could be too big a hurdle, so she hesitated before applying.  

It seems, however, that enCircle and Diana were meant for each other. 

"The enCircle flyers, they just kept finding their way to me, and I kept thinking and praying about it and I thought, maybe God is telling me something," she said. "That this is what he wants me to do." 

So, Diana gave enCircle a call, and in December of 2023, she fostered her first two children, a 5-year-old and a 6-year-old. 

"They were the most adorable kids," she said. "I just really love being around them, seeing their reactions to things, their excitement." 

Now fostering her third and fourth immigrant children, two 9-year-old boys, Diana says the language barrier has not been as difficult as she feared. 

"Sure, there are some times we may struggle to understand each other," she said. "But we have learned a few ways to work around it." 

One such way is by using signs.  

"With the two 9-year-olds I have now, what I’ll do is write out my message," Diana said, explaining that she will then work through each word with the children. "If one doesn’t understand, the other will usually help explain." 

Diana also credits enCircle for providing her with laminated signs featuring various words and pictures of items which have helped to make communication that much easier. 

"The staff at enCircle have just been incredible. It feels like a real community, a real team," she said. "Having the staff let you know that they’re there for you if you need them is a huge plus. You never feel like you’re in this all by yourself." 

The Transitional program provides around-the-clock training and support, which was especially helpful with her fourth child, who struggled with his new surroundings. 

"He came to me at a really difficult time in his life,” Diana explained, recalling the first few nights when the child had difficulty calming down. "One night, I told the case manager, I was afraid the police would show up because he was screaming so loud."

According to Diana, the key to finding a solution is patience. 

"We just continued to work with him, both myself and the staff at the school," she said, referring to the educational program the children take part in each day where they’re taught English and other academic subjects while they await placement or reunification. "It helped him to adapt and be more positive about himself. He’s very different now from when he first got here."

Because of that help, Diana said working with enCircle’s Transitional Foster Care team is "a tremendous experience." 

"Every staff member I’ve worked with has been so friendly and helpful," she said. "They really are there to support you in any way you need."

And for Diana’s next goal? 

"I’ve been saying I wanted to learn Spanish for years and it never really happened," she said. "But now seems the perfect time."