Utah foster couple honored with 'Spirit of Service' award

WEST JORDAN — The hugs, the "I love you's" and the "Can I call you dad?" questions keep Jose Luis Gonzales working two jobs and his wife, Ruth, clipping coupons, shopping discount stores and stretching every nickel to provide for other people's children in addition to their own.

After taking in more than 100 foster children during the past eight years, the husband and wife team who became U.S. citizens after emigrating from Argentina received their city's "Spirit of Service" award Wednesday night.

West Jordan Mayor Melissa Johnson made the presentation during a City Council meeting, lauding the pair for their dedication to helping abused and neglected children dysfunctional homes.

Jose Luis, a former paramedic, and Ruth, who worked in her native Argentina as a nurse, told the Deseret News they originally came to the United States after an invitation from LDS missionaries to visit. They fell in love with Utah, and emigrated 10 years ago.

Shortly after they arrived, Ruth began providing child care because her English skills weren't enough to allow her to work as a nurse. One of the parents of children she cared for told her about the foster care system, something unknown in Argentina, where abused and neglected children are either taken in by relatives or become homeless.

The couple has only one biological son and doctors told them they would never be able to have any other children of their own. They worked for 18 months to qualify as foster parents, undergoing criminal background checks at the Argentine embassy in Los Angeles as part of the licensure process.

To date, they have adopted three children through the foster care system, and are currently waiting to finalize adoption proceedings for a group of three siblings, ages 14, 10 and 6 months. They've housed children of all ages, from newborns through age 18, not only providing support for them, but for many of their parents as well, according to Christina LeCluyse, foster/adoptive family recruiter for the Utah Foster Care Foundation, who translated questions and answers during an interview.

One foster daughter who was 15 at the time she lived with the Gonzales family is getting married next month and they will be deeply involved in the wedding events, they said. The girl was eventually reunited with her own mother, whom the couple befriended and have helped advise.