Alberta 'baby whisperer' has fostered 88 children since 1999

Luther Burbank has earned his "baby whisperer" nickname.

The Fort Saskatchewan senior has fostered 88 children — 66 of them babies — since 1999.

For 90-day stretches, Luther and his wife, Leona, care for up to three infants at a time through Catholic Social Services' foster care program.

Leona takes the night shift, rising when babies cry, and Luther rocks and cuddles them throughout the day. He speaks and sings to them, changes their diapers and prepares bottles of warm formula in his kitchen.

While the babies drink, they often clutch Burbank's fingers. His soothing presence calms even the fussiest infants, his wife insists.

Even outside of home, children gravitate toward him.

Listen to Luther Burbank talk about fostering babies:

"Sometimes I'll be in the store shopping, and little kids will come by and say, 'Hello, grandpa!'" said Burbank, 77. "And I don't even know the children."

One day, he calmed a new foster baby who had been crying for the past two and a half hours.

From driving trucks to mixing formula

Burbank, who grew up in Quebec's Eastern Townships, moved to Alberta from Ontario nearly 45 years ago and worked for years as a trucker, hauling loads of groceries across the country.

He became a foster parent after recovering from a serious injury in 1999, when his only biological daughter was 13 years old.

"Instead of feeling sorry for myself, I got myself back mobile and decided that I should be able to take care of kids," he said.

Both his daughter and wife were excited to welcome another child into their home, he recalled.

Since then, the Burbanks have developed a glowing reputation among hospital and care workers.

"Lu and Leona provide a safe, stable and loving home for these children and go above and beyond just your regular — what some people would consider basic — care," said placement co-ordinator Talina Schulz.

Tender love and care

Infants and children have arrived with physical and mental health challenges over the years, but Burbank said challenges are the norm with raising children, no matter where they come from.

"You just learn to accept them, you take care and get it done," he said. "That tender love and care is just something every child needs."

Catholic Social Services needs more foster parents, Schulz said. Training to become one typically takes from six months to a year.

CSS's Edmonton foster program has served approximately 60 children and youth since April 2018.