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

We live a step ahead in foster care (whenever possible- we also fly by the seat of our pants a good deal of the time as plan A yields to plans B, C, D, etc). 

Though it is just November, our eyes are trained on December, a month of so many holidays, celebrations, and gatherings.

This year, we invite you, our Foster Friends of JRI, to set a festive tone for the season.  On December

Many folks want to support foster care, but aren’t in a position to open their homes to a child or youth in care. 

Is it still possible to help?  Absolutely!  Here are ten ways you can step forward to support foster care.

1. Hire a Youth in Care

Are you a small business owner or manager?  Do you hire for summer/after school/weekend work?  Reach out to your local fostering agency and submit a job description.  If

On Friday, she will get the keys to her first apartment.

She will have all of the same butterflies as every young adult who has taken this step.  She will walk up the freshly shoveled path to the front stoop.  She will turn the key in the lock for the first time, swing open the door, and step into independence.

She is nineteen.  Most of her peers are still at home or in dorms for