Salina couple is SFM’s 2024 Foster Family of the Year
What began as an act of love for her cousin has become a vocation for Jasmyne Larson and her husband, Brigham. Yet before the Salina, Kansas, couple had even met, Jasmyne was a kinship parent and on her way to earning her foster care license.
“I had just turned 21,” she said. “My aunt has five children, and they all went into custody. Two of my cousins didn’t have anywhere to go so Saint Francis asked if I’d consider taking one of them in. So, I did. I attended all her case meetings and met lots of people. By the time she went home around February 2019, I had already decided that this was something I wanted to do.”
Jasmyne was in the middle of MAPP class when she met Brigham. That occurred in March, and he almost immediately started driving Jasmyne to class. She also told him right off the bat, “I’m going to be a foster parent and have a million children. So, if you’re not into that …” Brigham, however, simply replied, “Whatever works. It sounds fun.” They moved in together in July 2019, and by September, they had their first placements. Two years later they married so Brigham could be added to the license and the adoption process facilitated.
“Originally, we planned to move in together and take smaller kids,” she said. “I’m physically really small, so I was nervous about bigger kids. But I had a really awesome MAPP teacher who takes in older kids, and she told us stories about older kids and siblings and how hard it is for them. I started crying because I’m the oldest of five sisters.”
That’s when the Larsons decided to focus on sibling sets and teens, kids not much younger than the newlyweds. Yet, it’s worked well because they’re passionate about helping teens and keeping siblings together. Since licensure, they’ve fostered more than 22 placements and adopted two sibling sets, becoming the forever family for six young people.
Jasmyne and Brigham’s dedication to the kids in their home has earned them the honor of being Saint Francis’ Foster Family of the Year. Besides adopting sibling sets, they couple has helped reintegrate siblings and helped teens get into college and purchase vehicles. They take all the kids on family vacations, especially to Six Flags amusement parks throughout the country. They treat every child in their home as part of the family, whether adopted or foster. They also work well with birth families, helping kids maintain connected to family and friends.
“As foster parents, we’ve learned that mutual respect with older kids goes a long way,” said Jasmyne. “Our kids are never scared to come to us with something they think is unfair. They know that we’re willing to negotiate anything unless it has to do with their safety.”
Over the years, Jasmyne and Brigham have become foster care advocates of sorts, working with SFM during Christmas for Kids to match kids with local sponsors to ensure that youth in Salina and Saline County have presents during the holidays. Just last May, to commemorate Foster Care Appreciation Month, they created “Fostering on the Fe” for foster families and kids. The inaugural
family-friendly event featured a DJ, bouncy house, games, face painting, and free food at Santa Fe Avenue in Salina. About 150 people attended the event.
For the Larsons, it’s all just part of being a foster parent.
“People often ask us why we do this,” said Jasmyne. “People say, ‘You’re so young, you could be doing this or doing that.’ We get that a lot. Ultimately, it comes down to the question ‘If we weren’t doing it, who would?’ Our son, Dakota, is such a good kid, and he’s only about 10 years younger than me. It’s weird how he’s lived the last 12 years of his life with struggles that came through no fault of his own. Yes, it’s hard doing this sometimes, but at the end of the day, it’s about making sure we’re doing the best we can to give these kids the normal life they deserve.”
And their family keeps growing.
The Larson home is currently filled with seven youth, ranging in age from 10 months to 18 years old. Two of the kids are their adopted children, four are foster care placements, and one is their birth daughter, born just last October. They’re expecting another baby in January.
“We just wish people knew that these kids are no different from their own,” said Jasmyne. “Their behaviors are just what they know, and if you show them better, they’ll do better. That’s why we don’t read their Blue Book because we don’t believe it should define a child. We trust our workers when they tell us, ‘We have a good kid who just needs your help right now.’ These kids didn’t ask for this, and we’re not their saviors. We just treat them the way anyone would want to be treated.”
Saint Francis drops two new episodes of “Conversations” video series
The second and third installments of Saint Francis Ministries’ video series, “Conversations,” are finished and ready to view. The newest episode, “The Power of Prevention,” includes a round-table conversation facilitated by SFM’s Executive Officer for Mission and Ministry, Fr. Andrew O’Connor, with Vice President of Prevention Dr. Nicole McCauley and Family-Centered Treatment Specialist Taylor Straight.
Episode 2 features the same format, also facilitated by Fr. O’Connor. Titled “Foster Parenting – A Vocation,” it highlights Jasmyne and Brigham Larson, Saint Francis’ 2024 Foster Family of the Year, and Western Kansas Foster Care Homes Director Vicki Cain.
Check out “Conversations” here.
