They arrived home in tears.

“He needs us, Miss J, he needs to be here!!!”

Our foster mom, Miss J, didn’t know what words to say to comfort the sobbing little girls in her kitchen.  CFC parents are limited to two placements, so the girls’ brother was placed elsewhere. 

The visit had been horrible, worse than usual.  Their mom, pregnant with a new child, explained she wasn’t taking them back, she was signing over her

Foster care is a confusing world.  There are a lot of agencies, systems, and individuals involved.  Even within the foster care system itself, there are confusing pieces to navigate.  One of the first questions to ask is the type of foster care you are prepared to provide.  What are the differences?  What are the similarities?  What is right for you?

*Please be aware, this is bring written from the perspective of someone working within

If you follow us on social media (which you probably do, if you are reading this), you know that May is a precious month to us.  May is National Foster Care Month.  It is a month during which the community is reminded of this largely silent population that lives hiding in plain sight. 

Why May?

May is the fifth month of our calendar.  It hides right in the calendar, much like foster families live right

As we discussed in our previous blog, supporting our foster parents is necessary.  We believe that in order to serve our children and youth in the best way possible, we must serve our parents to the best of our ability.  Over the years, we have tried different techniques.  Some have been effective and some have not, but here are a few more of the things we try to do to make the life of a

As an agency, our responsibility is to support our foster parents, so that they can support the children entrusted to their care.  It has been repeatedly demonstrated that the more support we give, the stronger and better equipped our parents are to manage difficult situations and support a child’s healing process.  Here are is Part 1 of JRI Foster Care and Adoption’s key supports:

Foster Parent Support Group

Ten times a month in four different locations, we

You do an online search.  “Foster Care Agencies Near Me.”  Four or five names pop up on your screen.  You pause and start to wonder.  Does it matter which you choose?  Don’t they all do the same thing?  How do you know which program is right for you?

Interview Agencies

Just like anything, every agency has its own personality.  Call a few agencies.  Do they answer your call right away?  Do they sound friendly?  Do

The sound of my mom’s voice is just the most soothing sound in the world.  It hits a different place in my brain, has a physiological effect on my body.  One of the most amazing things she did when I was a little girl (and there were just so many…I am so fortunate that I was placed in her capable hands when I entered this world) was reading to me and my sisters. 

Every night

He ran out of the classroom.  Again.  He got sent to the office.  Again.  He growled at his foster mom.  Again.  He shoved a kid on the playground, broke a girl’s crayons, and ripped up his worksheet.  Again.

He missed his mom.  Again.  He got stuck thinking about the word “Adoption,” and how his social worker said he wasn’t going to live with his mom.  Again.  He thought about living in Maine and making bonfires

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 are part of foster parent support groups on social media.  Your agency calls you and says, “Congratulations, your home has been approved.  You are open to provide foster care!  We will call you when we have a match,” and they hang up the phone.

Now what?

New parents, seasoned parents, it makes no difference.  Welcoming

A New Year’s Wish

Midnight ushers in the promises of crisp, fresh pages, uninked and ready for the next chapter.  The year reaches in front of us, a road untraveled, offering adventure, promise, a new start. 

I wish you peace in the New Year.  I wish you wisdom, accrued from every year you’ve lived, to guide you on your path.  I wish joy, to greet the new day.  May you dance in golden rays of