JRI Fostercare Blog

Articles related to: Support Foster Youth

4 min read

Belong

By Courtney Edge-Mattos on February 13, 2025

A teenage girl slouches, seated on the floor with her back braced against a wall. She holds a cell phone in her hand. She has a distressed expression on her face.

She hoists her backpack on her shoulder and scans the room. Is anything left in a drawer? Beside the bed? Did she leave her toothbrush in the bathroom? It is barely morning, her brain hasn’t quite shaken the fog of restless sleep, but she can’t forget anything. She doesn’t know if she’ll be coming back.

Elisa gets into the gray sedan parked in the driveway, the headlights making ghosts in the shadows of the early

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4 min read

Foster Youth: Magnificent Miss M

By Courtney Edge-Mattos on January 10, 2022

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

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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.

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

Helping Hands

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

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Do you have a question about JRI services?

(508) 468-6042

navigator@jri.org

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.