“When the elephants fight, it’s the grass that suffers.” African Proverb Brian Mavis expounded on this quote in a recent episode of the Foster Friendly Podcast: “When the big sectors, when they’re not cooperating with each other and they’re not…
As America’s Kids Belong celebrates its 10th year anniversary, we look back at this post from Co-Founder and Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships, Brian Mavis. Brian’s encounter with Cindy would become a catalyzing moment that helped inspire the start of…
While adoption from foster care does happen, current statistics show that less than 30% of exits from foster care are due to adoption (AFCARS Report). America’s Kids Belong’s I Belong Project amplifies the stories, faces, and voices of kids in…
We are soon approaching one year since the launch of The Foster Friendly Podcast. While that is something we’re proud of as a new platform to help inspire, resource, and equip folks nationwide–we’re celebrating something much bigger this month at…
We envision seeing gains in recruited and better supported foster families giving much needed stability to kids in foster care whose lives are upended in uncertainty as they await unknown outcomes with their birth families. We envision creating a culture…
Being in foster care often means a child is living through a painful story, suspended in time; awaiting uncertain outcomes; dealing with layers of trauma; commonly facing separation from siblings; coping with other layers loss (even if temporarily) of extended…
When we think about the foster care system, we often focus on the children whose lives are being shaped by the experience and the families opening their hearts and homes. However, there are unseen heroes working tirelessly behind the scenes…
(Guest blog- Abby Crooks) Have you ever played in the ocean and you’re floating and diving in the waves and then suddenly when you look up you’re nowhere near your friends and family on shore where you got in? As…
Insights from birth children in a foster/adoptive home “What if this ruins his life?” I understand the question. It’s one my husband and I struggled with at the beginning of our fostering journey shortly after our first child was born. …
(Guest blog- Abby Crooks) Years ago our adventure-seeking family went rock climbing in Wyoming. We’d been to rock climbing gyms, and we were ready to take on a real boulder! We quickly realized we weren’t prepared: our eyes couldn’t see…
Our family has moved around for various ministry purposes and have been members of four churches while providing foster care. Three of these churches did a wonderful job of being “foster-friendly” and one could have done much better. I have…
It’s the start of a new year. and while many things change from year to year, some things do not. One thing that is timeless is the need humans have to be known and to belong. As the writer Simone…
