The Nerette Family

For the Nerettes of Bridgeport, foster care is a ‘family affair’;
Lesly & Marlyse feted as ‘Foster Parents of the Year’ 2008

In an interview at their Bridgeport home recently, Lesly noted that he had always wanted to have six children. But after having their first four, “that was enough,” he said.  

Going to college and working full-time to support his growing family, Lesly and Marlyse began investigating foster care. 

“We discovered that Boys & Girls Village was a foster care agency located close to us,” he said. “Their training was good and Boys & Girls Village staff is always there for us.” 

Not that they don’t have help – their 20-year-old daughter, Marthe, pitches in when she is not attending classes at Sacred Heart University. 

Another helper on the scene is son Emanuel, 17, who attends Central High School. Other family members include a daughter, Geranah, 10; their son, Lesly Jr., 8, and, a six-year-old foster child who cannot be identified. 

To Lesly, his household of eight reminds him of growing up in Haiti. “Our house was always an unofficial foster care home,” he said. In addition to his bio family of six children, “you could find 14, 15 or 16 other kids being taken care of by my parents.” 

Lesly noted that at age 15 he was told that one of the boys in his household, six years older and who had been living with the family for his entire life, “was not my biological brother. And a girl in the family, not my bio sister, well, she looked just like my mother. 

“So it’s in my blood – growing up in a huge family. I liked it. It was fun.” 

Their first foster child, Qust, is now 13. Qust was recently adopted by the Nerettes. Everyone agreed that Qust has come a long way. 

“When Qust first came to us, he was an F student,” Lesly said. “We were told everything negative about him; he was afraid of being alone, afraid of the dark, and afraid to take a shower. Three days later, he moved into his own room and was taking 3-4 showers a day. 

“He also went from F’s in school to C’s, then B’s and A’s,” Lesly beamed. “Once you are in our house, you have to be good and do well in school – it’s a house of champions!” 

Among his many activities, Qust is a football player in the Fall and he likes to bake – cakes especially. He is also a student rep to the Bridgeport Board of Education and was recently named to the National Honor Society. 

Like most teenagers, Qust is opinionated. “He sounds like a lawyer sometimes,” Lesly said with a laugh. “You can argue with him, but you cannot win.” 

What does Qust think of all this? “It’s nice to live in a full house. It’s always interesting.” 

Marlyse and Lesly met during their college years. Lesly was sent to the United States to attend college by his father, a high-ranking official in Haiti – which remains today an unstable and violent country. “It was not safe in Haiti and it was my father’s dream for me to get away from an unsafe situation.” 

Marlyse, who has been in the United States for 21 years, is a natural caregiver herself. Back home in Haiti, her mother also took care of many children in their own extended family.  

Marlyse was the youngest and noted that her mother “treated all of the children like her own.” Today, Marlyse also attends college, studying child care and social work. And her child-raising philosophy is simple. “Kids need someone to talk to,” she said. “Kids need love. 

“We have created a safe and happy home for these kids to live in,” she added. “And I feel lucky. I don’t have a hard time balancing home life and school. Everyone pitches in.” 

The family’s case worker, Melissa Ringer, added, “The Nerettes are a joy to work with and are one of the most welcoming families I have worked with. They work extremely well with their foster child's providers and tend to all his needs. The way in which they treat their foster child makes it apparent that he is not simply a foster child in their home but a member of their family. Their home is always filled with happiness and laughter from all of the children there, whom they have raised in the same positive character as themselves.” 

According to Boys & Girls Village Therapeutic Foster Care Supervisor, Carra Conlan, a sibling of the Nerette’s 6-year-old foster child may be coming into the system soon and might come to live with the Nerette family, provided space and other requirements are satisfied. “There is a process that has to be followed,” Conlan noted. 

Referring to the siblings, Lesly said, “We want them to be together. It’s not a good thing for children to be moving from house to house. 

“You would never think in a country like the United States there would be so many abused children needing homes.  

“You expect that in a poor country like Haiti. But it’s really sad for this to happen in a rich country,” he continued.   “So many kids need help, all around us. This is what motivates us to be so involved.” 

Marlyse added, “We have learned a lot from Boys & Girls Village. Their training and support have helped make us who we are as foster parents.” 

“My main point is that we want these children to live with us,” Lesly said. “We want them to be healthy, go to school, feel loved and live a good, productive life. 

“We are not trying to steal these children from their parents. We just want them to have a fair chance to succeed,” he said.  

For all the reasons stated above, and much more, these are the reasons why Lesly and Marlyse Narette were chosen as Boys & Girls Village’s 2008 “Foster Parents of the Year.”