JRI Leader in Social Justice
EnglishEnglish
EnglishEnglishBengaliBengaliChinese (Simplified)Chinese (Simplified)FrenchFrenchHaitian CreoleHaitian CreoleHindiHindiIgboIgboJapaneseJapanesePortuguesePortugueseRussianRussianSpanishSpanishYorubaYoruba

JRI Fostercare Blog

Articles related to: Foster a Teen

2 min read

Faces of Foster Care: Jazzlynn

By Courtney Edge-Mattos on November 18, 2022

A teenage, Afro-Latina girl stares into the distance. She has curly, dark brown hair and wears a jean jacket.

Foster care is a large, complex system.  It is important to remember that individual lives and stories make up foster care.  Please take a moment to hear Jazzlynn's story, one of the many Faces of Foster Care. 

Jazzlynn, or "Jazzy" for short, is 15 years old. She's been in and out of foster care for the majority of her life. She doesn't remember all of the schools she's been to or the names of the

Tags:

Read More
4 min read

Mr. Stoic: Learning to Trust in Foster Care

By Courtney Edge-Mattos on November 16, 2021

A seven year old boy stares to the right.

Stoic.

That is an appropriate description of him.  Mr. Stoic.

When the big sad thing happened, his face remained still and guarded.  He blinked hard a few times, but in the moment, he kept every muscle under the tightest control.

At the park when other kids were whooping on swings and careening down the slide, limbs flailing, he followed their paths, but there was a firm concentration on his brow.  He pumped his legs in

Tags:

Read More

Foster Care...Foster Hope

A Blog to Support Foster Parents

Our foster care program is rooted in the principle that every child deserves to feel safe, to be nurtured, and to thrive. Our foster families and staff are committed to maximizing each child's potential within our stable and loving foster homes.

Remember:

  • Stable homes nurture neglected children.
  • Compassionate homes mend painful pasts.
  • YOUR home can change the life of a child.

If you are interested in becoming a foster parent, please complete our foster care interest form.

Featured Posts

Preparing for An Arrival

You’ve taken the classes.  You’ve been fingerprinted, interviewed, reference-checked.  You’ve watched the “Removed” movie fourteen times.  You’ve read blogs and

Read More

Helping Hands

There are so many wonderful people out there who want to support the children and families with whom we work. 

Read More

@JRISocialJstce

JRI Service Navigator

Do you have a question about JRI services?

(508) 468-6042
navigator@jri.org
Rachel Arruda

Rachel has been a part of the JRI team since January, 2000. For over 20 years, Rachel has been working in the field of human services assisting families with accessing and navigating services. Rachel received her Bachelors degree in psychology and Masters Degree in Public Administration from Bridgewater State University. She was promoted in July 2005 to Family Networks Program Director where she closely worked with the Department of Children Families for 10 years ensuring that children and families received the highest quality of individualized services ranging from community based through residential care. Rachel is very dedicated to helping the individuals she works with and is committed to improving the lives of children and families. Rachel’s passion for creative service programming inspires her in her role as JRI Service Navigator.