When her husband, Ron, told her he wanted to become a foster parent, Danette was nervous. She was worried her biological children, Nicole and Nathaniel, would not get along with...
When Kari, a little girl they knew through church, was in need of a foster home, Stacie and Blake decided to step up. “We really had her best interest in...
Kassie and Tammy have always had a passion for seeing children succeed. At work, Kassie supports foster and adoptive parents, and Tammy assists children with special healthcare needs. The two...
I was lucky I had all the support I needed. Make sure you are surrounding yourself with people who have fostered or adopted before.
It was a few days before the presidential election in 2012, and Kelly was tired of all the political ads and unwanted campaign phone calls. The Saturday before she cast...
You can be a role model when you don’t even realize it. You can change the cycle.
Sandra and Jerry Dollen became foster parents 28 years ago, because they knew it was the right thing to do. A child they knew needed help and a temporary place...
We realized there are some big needs out there. We knew our family could make a difference.
Renato and Nellie Jimenez hadn’t planned to fall in love with foster parenting. The couple knew they wanted to adopt, but when they learned about the desperate need for foster...
You have to be a strong person to foster. But once you see one of the kids succeed, it’ll bring tears to your eyes, and it’s all worth it.
A simple act of kindness decades ago has gone on to change lives for Iowa youth in foster care. David Steele remembers the police officer he met after he ran...
We were a welcoming family, and we really didn’t want that journey to stop.
Many of Cheryl’s favorite memories involve raising her two children, watching them thrive, and counting the shoes in the doorway each night to see how many of her children’s friends...
At 8 years old, Sofia was often the only one caring for her younger siblings. She tried to be the “normal” girl at school but her only mission at home...