When Ryan and Brittany decided to grow their family through Children’s Home’s Foster Care Adoption program, they were both excited and nervous. Brittany, with a background in social work, brought a unique perspective; both she and her husband were acutely aware of the challenges ahead. “We have friends who went through adopting from foster care with their 13-year-old,” said Ryan. “It really opened our eyes to the need for teens to find permanent homes. We were inspired by that and thought this was the right path for us.” The couple attended trainings offered by Children’s Home to prepare them ..read more

Raising your child and navigating an open adoption can be challenging on the best of days. When you add the layers of holiday traditions, sensory overwhelm, or triggering memories to the mix, even the most ardent supporters of open adoption will testify to the potential for messiness. How do you handle your family’s open adoption and all its complexity during the holidays? You Are Not Alone Every year, we field questions related to the challenges of the holiday season and maintaining healthy relationships in open adoption. The questions range: How to handle gift-giving from birth families Who ..read more

Lindsay and Ryan began their adoption journey as many people do, envisioning an infant who would transform them from a couple into a growing family. But within months of starting the adoption process, they both felt a calling that changed that initial vision. “I looked in my heart,” said Lindsay. “Knowing how many older kids, especially siblings, were waiting to be adopted, that felt like the best option for us. I felt compelled that was our path.” In late summer, 2020, while looking through the Children’s Home Society of Minnesota’s website of children waiting for permanent homes, the couple ..read more

Social workers usually make a significant effort to keep siblings together, especially if the children’s case is moving toward adoption. While there is always a need for more resource parents, it’s worth noting that there is a significant need for foster families for sibling groups. The needs of sibling groups are unique, and as you can imagine, the space and time you must devote to these children is more significant than fostering one child at a time. 12 Practical Tips for Fostering a Sibling Group Fostering siblings as a group can be beneficial for the children. You allow them to mainta ..read more

Choi is a creative fifteen-year-old who enjoys magic cards, magic tricks, and music (especially electronic dance music). He is very smart and a quick learner! His favorite classes at school are music and gym. Outside of school, Choi likes to relax by watching TV and movies, listening to music, going out to eat, going on walks, and spending time on his phone. One of Choi’s most unique interests is studying and interpreting dreams. He connects his dreams to reality and interprets their meaning using his dream book. He is a deep thinker and enjoys this process of inner thinking. When thinking abo ..read more

After seven years of marriage, Gretchen and Jill Rode were ready to add a child to their lives. The two Lutheran pastors in St. Paul, Minnesota applied to the infant adoption program of Children’s Home and Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota (CH/LSS). While attending informational sessions, their social worker encouraged them to also look into foster care. “Hearing how much need there is for older kids to have homes,” said Gretchen, “we kept getting more drawn to that.” We realized we had the resources and capacity to take in older kids that younger parents might not have,” Jill added. “As p ..read more

Ari is a kind, caring, hilarious 17-year-old in his senior year of high school. One of his favorite subjects in school is science because he loves to learn about how things work. Outside of school, Ari has many interests! He enjoys comedy, watching YouTube, playing video games, basketball, football, dancing, being around animals, and making arts and crafts. Ari enjoys being active, both physically and as part of the community. One thing Ari is looking forward to in life is getting a dog (preferably a small or medium-sized one)! “Ari loves dogs and would love to be able to take care of one. He ..read more

Colby is a funny, kind, and thoughtful 15-year-old who loves being social and connecting with others. “He is a good storyteller and is very witty!” says Sara Jeske, his Child Specific recruiter. Some of Colby’s favorite activities include taking walks, spending time near water, riding his bike, and playing video games. His favorite part of the school day is recess! Being outdoors and socializing always brings a smile to his face. If he could plan his ideal weekend, Colby would spend time outside, go on a picnic, and ride his bike. When thinking of his future family, Colby hopes they could play ..read more

This post was originally published by Creating A Family on January 5, 2023, through the generous support of Jockey Being Family Foundation. View the original post here.  In the adoptive, foster, and kinship community, there’s often a wide range of what parents know about the child’s birth parents. Frequently, information about the birth mother’s prenatal care can be challenging to verify, especially in foster care adoptions. Your child may have come to you with a confirmed diagnosis of prenatal exposure to alcohol or drugs, but it’s more likely that they have not. The US government e ..read more

Adopted, foster and kinship kids often struggle with new experiences and relationships. Truthfully, transitions and change are scary to most folks, but our kids who have been exposed to trauma, abuse, or neglect have heightened sensitivities to change. The impacts of their trauma require predictability, connection, and routine to settle those fears and navigate life. How can we ease the transition to a new school year for our kids? 12 Tips for Easing the Transition to a New School Year 1. It all feels new. Even if your child has been in the same building for several years, remember that t ..read more