In honor of Mother’s Day, we reached out to Peggy Nibert, one of our favorite South Carolina moms.
She and her husband, Greg Nibert, have been long-standing foster parents in Clinton, South Carolina. For many years, the Niberts have opened their hearts and homes to children who need a loving place to live for a short period of time. They have fostered 53 children.
Peggy works at Thornwell, a Christian ministry in Clinton, South Carolina, helping children build their reading proficiency. We recently caught up with her.
What are you doing now with Thornwell with the Read Right program? Why is it special?
I am the Director of the Read Right Program at Thornwell.
Read Right is an amazing reading empowerment program that encourages students of all ages to derive meaning from their reading text. Through small group tutoring and verbatim feedback, Read Right creates an environment that compels the student’s brain to figure out the process of reading for itself. Students’ reading problems are eliminated and replaced with confidence and comfort in reading that they have never experienced.
As we celebrate Mother’s Day, what is your best mom advice?
Peggy Nibert attended the EdVenture FROST Gala with her sons, Shaun and Van.
Quality time and active listening are gifts we can give our children that will serve them into adulthood. Time with our children offers teachable moments for us and learning opportunities for them. Quality time builds security, confidence, strong emotional bonds and trust.
Enjoy the journey by cherishing every moment.
Model for your children while teaching them to be kind and authentic.
Any words of wisdom or encouragement for fellow foster parents?
Advocate for and parent your foster children as your own.
You may not be able to change the world, but you can change the hearts and the futures of the children in your care, one child at a time.
The blessings that come with being foster parents overshadow the hard times tenfold.
Being a foster parent is one of the hardest things you will ever do, but also the most rewarding.
If you’d like to read more about the Niberts’ journey, you can do so at scChildren.org.
