Foster Family Features

A family of six stands outdoors with trees in the background. The father holds a toddler in a purple dress and yellow headband. The mother has her arm around a young boy. An older girl and boy stand in front, all smiling. Everyone is dressed casually.

Forever family is covered in God’s fingerprints

November 16, 2020

Their story begins a mere three years ago, or eight, if you consider how long Shiyrah and Shadow spent trying locked door after locked door. When they finally found the

A smiling couple stands close together outdoors, with the woman placing her hand on the man's chest. Both are wearing long-sleeved tops in dark colors, and greenery and a building are visible in the background.

So okay with being so sad

September 8, 2020

Four months after receiving their first placement, Noah and Kelsey Mathes felt as if their hearts were breaking. Phoning family to tell them that the little girl they’d cared for

An older couple standing side by side outdoors, both smiling. They are wearing glasses, and the woman is dressed in a blue shirt while the man is wearing a red and blue plaid shirt. The background is green foliage.

As Long as I Can Rock in the Rocking Chair

May 27, 2020

When asked, John just smiles and shrugs his shoulders. “No, we’ve never had any problems with it at all,” he says. “It’s been a big part of our lives, and

A woman in a brown sweater and a man in a blue checkered shirt stand close together, smiling, in front of a house with a festive wreath on the door. The house has white walls, brown window frames, and some greenery along the walkway.

“Our purpose was to help others, help kids.”

May 18, 2020

After fostering children for more than a decade, Kevin and Lori still don’t believe they’re anything special. They’ve simply done what they were supposed to do. It’s how they were

A man with a beard and a woman with long hair smile at the camera, standing close to each other. They are indoors with a decorative sign spelling "FAMILY" on the wall behind them and shelves with books and board games to the left.

Our ultimate goal is to help put families back together

February 25, 2020

Kristi Fry knows firsthand what a good, safe home means to a child, especially to a child separated from her parents. Just 10 years old when her mother and father

A woman and a man are seated next to each other at a wooden table. The woman is smiling and has shoulder-length brown hair, and the man has short light brown hair and is wearing a black shirt. The background shows a window with light coming through.

“We’ve always taken those kids with special needs”

February 21, 2020

The Shidelers have always known that if they want a family, they must adopt. So, early in their marriage they decided that they would adopt as many children as God

A man and woman stand with the man's arm around the woman. The woman is wearing a green blouse and the man is wearing blue scrubs with a name tag reading "Hedrick Regional Laboratory, Quality Assurance." They are standing outside in front of a bush.

Self-professed Beatles superfan José Ramirez might be excused for believing that “all you need is love.” After all, he’s seen what it can accomplish in the lives of the young people he and Margarita have fostered. Unlike the song, though, he doesn’t believe “love