Getting to know the Brown family On the corner of West Center and Pecan Streets in Searcy, there stands a large, old , majestic house which serves as the home for a very unusual family . It is there that the 18 members of the Herman and Lois Brown family live and love together. For many years now, the Browns have opened their household to a number of homeless children, frequently, as many as 16 at one time, which is the flexible limit specified by their license. During the last school year alone, they have served as parents and friends for over 32 foster children. Ages ofthe children range from 8-16 and the stay may be a minimum of two weeks to an average of two years. Presently, there are six of them that have been in the home for over three years and the Browns have obtained legal guardianship over them. The children Mr . and Mrs. Brown take into their homes are ones who will not fit into normal foster homes . They are not children who have committed crimes, nor are they always abused. Sometimes it is no fault of the parents alall that the child must go to a foster home . A child may be placed in the Brown home temporarily while parents cope with a financial or marital problem. "All of my kids have two things in common ," said Mrs . Brown, 50 • Involvement "they are all runaways and they all come from broken homes, whether from death or separation of the parents ." Mr. and Mrs. Brown have been foster parents since the first of their marriage 28 years ago. It is currently their fifth year at Searcy. In their second year of residence, they were asked to take an 11-year-old girl who at that time was staying in the Searcy jail. Since that time the Brown home has served both as a home for the homeless and a "connecting center" where, in emergency situations, a child may be placed in a Christian home . A question that must inevitably be asked is how the Browns can be very good parents to so many children with backgrounds of problem situations and in cases where rejection is frequently involved . A vis it to the Brown home reveals the secret. Each child is an individual , with his own needs and positive traits and contributions to the family, and is respected as being so by each member. A perfect example of this is the "family circle meetings." Whenever a member of the family has a complaint against another member, a family circle meeting is called and the accuser is allowed to state h is case without interruptions. It is then the defendant's chance to speak and for the other members who wi sh to comment to do so. " It prevents a whole lot of exaggerating and backbiting," Mrs . Brown explains. "We really try to st ress the importance of telling the truth around here " Harding students have become involved with Mrs. Brown through her position of spec ial education professor at Harding. Many social clubs enjoy working with the Brown family. This year on Thursday nights, Kevan jeffords and other members of Knights and Phi Delta have held devotionals and singings at the Brown home . The chi Idren were given a Christmas party by Kappa Phi and were taken to Friday night movies on campus by members of Delta Theta Epsilon. Some of the girls have Big Sisters from the JOY program. Following the exhortation given in james , the Browns look after children who have no other home . The influence that they have on these children could well determine the course of the rest of their lives. 1. INVOlYEMENT for Knights and Phi Delta is a devotional in the "family circle" at the Browns. 2. MOTHER of 16 and special education professor, Lois Brown discusses her very unusual and special family.
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