UNSUNG HERO ELYSE GORDON HAS FOSTERED 143 CHILDREN IN LONG BEACH

By Kathryn Wells

If you walk into Elyse Gordon’s home, the first thing you notice are the photos—dozens of children from every background lining the walls. In one hallway, each picture is labeled with a first name and dates, a record that represents about half of the 143 children she fostered from 1983 through her retirement. As a former foster child, I know how much it means to see proof that someone chose to show up. That’s why I wanted to tell Elyse’s story. 

She chose fostering with clear eyes. “What if I foster, because that’s temporary, and if I don’t like it, I just don’t accept anymore,” she recalls of her decision in the early 1980s. One placement changed everything.

“Then I got my first newborn with drugs… I’m getting goosebumps talking about it. That sealed the deal. That’s what I wanted.” Caring primarily for newborns—often medically fragile—Elyse taught during the day and learned everything she could at night.

“There was no computer, no internet… so I went to the library and I researched and read Babies Addicted to Drugs, How to Deal with Newborns Addicted to Drugs… I taught all day and then went to the library.” At times, she handled three infants at once, later scaling back as her health required. Through it all, the work remained personal, “I never

call this work… I loved it.”

The connections didn’t end when children moved on. “Every year, I have a pool party for the kids that stay in touch and their families,” she says. Some now call her Nana or Grandma and stop by with their own kids.

Elyse’s home is proof that stability can be built moment by moment—loving fully, then letting go when it’s time.