▁her ▁children . ▁She ▁stayed ▁home ▁with ▁her ▁children ▁and ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁be ▁as ▁big ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁their ▁lives ▁as ▁possible , ▁H ale ▁opened ▁her ▁own ▁home ▁day care , ▁initially ▁keeping ▁the ▁children ▁while ▁their ▁parents ▁worked ▁during ▁the ▁day . ▁The ▁children ▁that ▁she ▁c ared ▁for ▁found ▁her ▁home ▁to ▁be ▁such ▁a ▁car ing ▁and ▁lov ing ▁environment ▁they ▁did ▁not ▁want ▁to ▁go ▁home ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁day , ▁most ▁began ▁to ▁stay ▁full - time ▁only ▁seeing ▁their ▁moth ers ▁on ▁the ▁week ends . ▁She ▁used ▁her ▁home ▁as ▁a ▁day ▁care ▁for ▁other ▁struggling ▁parents ▁which ▁later ▁led ▁her ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁fost er ▁parent . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 0 s , ▁she ▁provided ▁short - term ▁and ▁long - term ▁care ▁for ▁community ▁children ▁in ▁her ▁home . ▁She ▁also ▁found ▁permanent ▁homes ▁for ▁hom eless ▁children ▁and ▁taught ▁parents ▁essential ▁parent ing ▁skills . ▁H ale ▁became ▁a ▁fost er ▁mother ▁and ▁got ▁a ▁license ▁and ▁took ▁in ▁ 7 - 8 ▁children ▁at ▁a ▁time . ▁By ▁ 1 9 4 7 - 1 9 6 8 , ▁she ▁had ▁taken ▁care ▁of ▁ 4 0 ▁fost er ▁children . ▁ ▁Job s ▁H ale ▁was ▁living ▁in ▁Har lem , ▁New ▁York , ▁where ▁she ▁retired ▁from ▁working ▁as ▁a ▁domestic ▁and ▁started ▁her ▁work ▁by ▁beginning ▁to ▁help ▁add icted ▁children ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 . ▁Although ▁H ale ▁had