Ryan and Nicole Turner – Manhattan, Kansas
Licensed since December 2025, Ryan and Nicole Turner have already welcomed 16 foster placements into their home, cared for up to seven children at once, and raised their own three kids along the way. They were SFM’s July Foster Family of the Month.
Nicole, who grew up adopted herself, brings understanding and compassion to every child in her care. The Manhattan, Kansas, couple has kept sibling groups together, supported reunification with biological families, and said “yes” when others couldn’t.
As SFM foster parents, the Turners have already helped a 17-year-old girl catch up on credits, graduate on time, attend her first prom, and celebrate with a family trip to the Bahamas. They took in siblings to keep a family of six connected, then donated bunk beds so the kids could stay comfortable after moving to a new home. They even welcomed a teen into their family vacation just days after her placement, making sure she felt included from day one.
The Turners and close family friends, Jasmyne and Brigham Larson, created the Larson and Turner Family Foundation, which provides Christmas presents and yearly support to kids in foster care and other local youth in need around Manhattan, Salina, and Junction City. Jasmyne started the project seven years ago, and the Turners joined her last December.
For the Turners, fostering quickly became a family affair. Their blended family includes seven children, two of whom still live in the house.
“Our kids are fantastic about helping out,” said Nicole. “My older daughters, Audree and Kinsey, are 20 and 18, and they like to do sleepovers with the girls when they come over. If we ever need help, they’re right there.”
They also rely on their Saint Francis worker, Carissa Bollhoefner, and their case team.
“We receive great support, and they’re always available to help,” she said.
Since becoming licensed, the Turners have primarily fostered young girls and sibling sets.
“At one time, we had seven littles, including three siblings, but now we try to take older kids, especially those in the 13–18-year-old age group, because they’re more likely to come from a group home and often don’t have anywhere else to go,” said Nicole. “But we can’t really mix boys and girls when they’re older like that, so once we took in girls, we stuck with girls.”
Several of the Turners’ family members have also expressed interest in fostering, and one employee will be licensed in just a few weeks.
“It’s just so important to help the older kids,” said Nicole. “They sit in group homes for so long because they made a mistake or did something they shouldn’t have, but they’re not bad kids at all. I think everyone is a product of their environment, and if people treat you badly, you’ll likely behave badly. But if you’re in a loving family where people treat you well, you’re going to want to do better for yourself.”
Jodee Demel – Great Bend, Kansas
Over the years, Vyona “Jodee” Demel has become a grandmother figure to the kids in her community. They consider her home a safe, nurturing space where everyone is welcome. Since becoming a licensed foster parent in 2022, Jodee has opened her home to the teenagers who are often the hardest to place. Many of them might not find a fit in a traditional foster home, but Jodee has made room for them. She’s already fostered about 20 kids.
Widowed seven years ago, Jodee has two biological sons and one adopted son. But they’re only a portion of those she calls family, including dozens of “grandchildren and great-grandchildren” she’s fostered and informally adopted over the years.
“After my husband died, my home felt empty,” said Jodee. “My family was older and had kids of their own. I missed having children around, and a friend of mine who fosters suggested I get my license so I could feel needed in my life again. The kids turned out to be just what I needed. They blended with my family, and we stayed connected even after they returned home. They know this is still a safe place where they are loved unconditionally even when things aren’t so good.”“After my husband died, my home felt empty,” said Jodee. “My family was older and had kids of their own. I missed having children around, and a friend of mine who fosters suggested I get my license so I could feel needed in my life again. The kids turned out to be just what I needed. They blended with my family, and we stayed connected even after they returned home. They know this is still a safe place where they are loved unconditionally even when things aren’t so good.”
As a Saint Francis foster parent, Jodee makes sure her teens’ needs are met. She takes them to their medical and mental health appointments and stays closely involved in their care. She also prepares them for life after foster care, teaching accountability and responsibility, driving skills, money management, cooking, and even how to do their own laundry.
Her impact reaches well beyond her own household. Jodee provides respite care for most of the local children in care, and they affectionately call her “Nana.” They truly love spending time at her house. For other foster families in Barton County, she is a vital source of support, offering respite breaks that help keep placements stable.
Jodee also values the children’s relationships with their biological families. She allows parents to pick up and drop off at her home and communicates with them when appropriate. She wants the best for both the kids and their parents, and when reunification is in a child’s best interest, she helps advocate for it.
Over the past year, Jodee has faced her own health battles. Through it all, she has remained an attentive and proactive foster parent. She’s one of SFM’s best, which is why Foster Care Homes Specialist Cara Moore nominated her as the August Foster Family of the Month.
