Fostering in Faith: Douglass & Jaycee
January 2023 · Foster Care / Adoption, Fostering in Faith, Ministry News
Siblings Douglass, 9, and Jaycee, 6, are a dynamic duo who hope to remain together “no matter what.”
Siblings Douglass, 9, and Jaycee, 6, are a dynamic duo who hope to remain together “no matter what.”
There’s the family you were born into and the family you choose. John Arellano, JP, has both. One of Saint Francis Ministries’ longest serving foster parents, he’s built his family by becoming family to many of the 175 boys he’s fostered since 1999. And he’s done it as a single parent, most recently by working full-time as a truant officer for the Garden City, Kansas, school district and at his local YMCA.
Bright and spunky, 7-year-old Marlie loves to color, sing, and dance. If you ask her what she’s good at, she’ll cheerfully respond, “Everything.”
Jesse enjoys playing football, wearing shorts year-round, and looking at shoes online. The 12-year-old also loves history and laughing at funny YouTube videos. Jesse wants to attend junior college and hopefully play for the NFL. He also has dreams of being an astronaut.
All three of these beautiful children are affectionate, kind, and loving. They just need the same kind of home, place in which to feel safe, secure, and accepted.
Commitment to children and families doesn’t end with the work that's detailed in a Saint Francis job description – especially for many of our employees. When you help vulnerable kids and families, your heart and mind don't turn off when you leave the office. Many of our employees use their talents to give extra, taking time out from their personal lives to make a difference for kids.
Mary Gaston was just a little girl when she discovered a birth certificate with the name “Margaret” on it. It had to be her. The only other kids in the family were her older sister, Monica, and her younger brother, Bill. She knew that she and Bill were adopted, so by process of elimination, that meant her birth name was Margaret.
Aaron Sidwell has always carried two great loves in his heart – music and children. And he is happiest when those two loves connect. It wasn’t until recently, though, that the Maize, Kansas, teacher experienced a merger so radical that it changed his life forever, along with the lives of two young boys.
On Nov. 19, 2021, two little boys – Benjamin and Rylee – understood just a few things. One was that their last name was finally going to be just like that of the two people they have been calling Mommy and Daddy for two years. Another was that there was one heckuva celebration with a lot of happy people.
Thirty years ago, Betty Rush had a vision of how to build services that would help more children and families in Kansas. And 25 years ago, she made her vision a reality by establishing the first therapeutic foster care program at Saint Francis Ministries.