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

Why JRI Foster Care?

According to our most recent foster family surveys, foster parents choose to work with JRI Foster Care because of the support they receive from our team and our agency.  If you’ve never done foster care, it might be hard to know what you would need in terms of support and what to look for in an agency.  Well, wonder no more!  Here are the supports JRI Foster Care provides and why

At age 91, Nana decided it was time to retire.  She turned 90 last year during the early days of the pandemic.  We couldn’t celebrate her in the way we’d wanted.  Nana called us early on.  “I don’t think I should take any children right now.  It just doesn’t seem safe.”  We agreed. 

Nana was in her 60’s when she started fostering.  She’d always wanted to, but hadn’t had the time.  Her children were grown

What if there was one more bed?

One more bed for a 14 year old would mean that Kayla could step down from a group care program where she’s completed her service plan.  She has skills to manage her anxiety and a care team to support her.  She could live with a family while her biological family regains its footing.  She could feel a bit more like a regular kid.

One more bed for a

The goodbye was a hard one.  As soon as the kids learned that they were going to live with their relatives, behaviors that had long since stopped began cropping up again.  The cuddly children who once snuggled in for stories and movies, who danced in the living room to music, who were joyful turned angry and closed off.  Hurtful words were flung about, tantrums were common, and fists were even raised at Mama T.  “You’re

A buffet of food, laid out on a beautiful table.  Aromas of savory dishes, sweet treats, and spicy appetizers tease the nose.  The mouth waters, the stomach rumbles.  A starving person throws himself at the feast, grabbing with both hands, barely chewing, barely registering all that he is taking in, barely able to breathe around this life saving relief.  Other diners step back, wide-eyed at the sight, but politely understand.  He is the guest of

How long have you been thinking about fostering?  Is this a new idea or something you’ve considered for some time?

This is often the first question I ask folks, and the answer is almost always the same: years.  But they weren't sure they were ready.  They weren't sure they are enough.

They've spent years picturing what it would be like to prepare a room for a child, of the things they would do with a child or

This month, JRI Foster Care is hosting a book drive.  To be perfectly honest, we have no end date for this and hope to keep our book list ever-growing, but we’ve decided that now is the time to start this movement.

Why books?  With all of the moving parts of foster care, all of the challenges facing children and youth in care, what good is a book going to do?  It is a fair questions

As 2020 winds down, we all know that it has been a tumultuous year. But despite the difficulties we have faced, I know there are people we can call, day or night, when a child is in trouble.

They are the caretakers who open their homes when the courts order a child removed from their home for their own protection — perhaps because a parent or guardian has been arrested for drugs or violence