Dear Ms. 6,

            You arrived in a storm.

            It’s okay, I whispered, sliding under the kitchen table next to you. I’m scared of storms, too.

            I didn’t sleep the first night week month ever again, slipping into your room to make sure you’re still there.  “If you get sick, or scared, or hurt,” I reminded you endlessly, “you just come into my room and wake me up, or call my name, and

Our foster parents here at JRI represent a diverse bunch of people- and we LOVE that!  The more diverse, the stronger we are as a program and the better we can serve the diverse needs of children and youth in the Commonwealth.

Regardless of age, race, sexual orientation or identity, marital status, education, ethnicity, culture, parenting experience, or so many other demographic qualities, here are the top 10 unifying qualities shared by our successful foster

She was only supposed to stay for the weekend.

I told myself the reason we were only taking short-term foster care placements was to protect the hearts of the children already in our home.

And if we used the term “foster friends” instead of “brother” or “sister,” nothing would get confusing. Right?

But perhaps I was trying to protect my heart as well. Although–how deeply could you fall in love in one week?

It was

5 Top Reasons Foster Families Choose JRI

It is hard to know where to start with foster care.  Do you choose a state agency or a private agency?  What are the differences?  What supports will you need?  Which is the right fit?

We asked our foster families why they choose JRI and here are the Top Five Reasons our foster families cited!

1. The Staff!

Time and time again, our foster families cited the positive relationships

Structure.

It is a term that is used often in foster care, right from the first MAPP class and all along.  There’s good reason, too.  Humans thrive on structure- a predictable routine and environment of known factors.  For children and youth who have experienced countless changes and trauma, structure helps reset the brain and allow it to regulate emotions, learning, and expectations.

That’s all fine and well, but if you’re new to the world of

Dear Foster Friends of JRI,

You may have thought you were just purchasing a holiday gift for a child, something to brighten their Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa celebration.  You may have thought it was a simple gesture to make them feel included and to check an item off a wishlist. 

I’m here to tell you, every gift was so much more.

Foster Friends, your gift reinforced a child’s right to dream.  Your gift was a

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

You’ve submitted the Foster Care Inquiry Form.  You’ve completed the Application.  You’ve had a Physical Standards Inspection of your home and passed.  You submitted your Autobiography and now, you’ve scheduled your first Foster Parent Interview.

Your heart beats a little bit faster.  What is going to happen?  What if you say the wrong thing?  Is there a wrong thing?

Foster care interviews are a little awkward at first.  It is hard to open your

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

November is National Adoption Month.  We take time this month to honor the children and parents who have found their way together through adoption.

There are many misconceptions about adoption, so we’d like to honor this month by taking some of the mystery out of foster care adoption.

What is Foster Care Adoption?

Foster care adoption, or “adoption through foster care” or “foster to adopt”, means that a child (age birth through 18, and sometimes