Raven has been licensed since February 2022. Raven has jumped into her role as a foster parent and advocate for children 0-17 with an eagerness that we are lucky to witness! Raven connects with children of many backgrounds and special needs to help them feel comfortable and safe throughout a difficult time in their lives. She is attentive and informed in all the decisions she makes for her children, always filling the gap where she sees a need. Raven acknowledges and works diligently to have a strong relationship with biological families so that she can build a larger family unit within a child’s life. Children’s Network is excited to see Raven continue to impact the lives of children in our communities and want to thank her for all her hard work!

Heather is a single mom, with an 8 y/o biological son. She has been a licensed foster home for 4 years. She has taken in numerous long-term placements, adopted a 2 y/o beautiful little girl in 2020 and is in the process of adopting her current foster child, a 2y/o little boy. Being a single parent with a full-time job can be challenging and when you add foster care into the mix, life becomes quiet the adventure. Even with her busy schedule she is always eager to help when she can as she knows our children need a safe haven while their families work on getting better.  While at her home doing a recent visit and siting at the dining room table, a woman with a couple of children walked through the front and made herself at home in the living room. When I asked Heather who that was, she said “See her son over there? He was my 1st placement and we have become close friends”. Caring for a foster child is one thing. Supporting, befriending, and maintaining a positive and mentoring relationship with the child’s family is special. This past Christmas, Heather invited a 16 y/o girl, foster child, into her home for the holidays. The child was placed at a local shelter.  Heather met this teen several years ago when was placed with a friend of Heather’s. She didn’t want her to have to spend the holidays in the shelter.  Heather is one of a kind and we are so lucky to have her on our team.  Thank you, Heather.

MaryLou has been licensed for a little over a year and provides short term care for our children. She has had numerous children in her home in just a short time. She is always available to help out with almost any respite or emergency short term need. She is wonderful with the children and provides exceptional care for them. There have been times when the respite has gone over the days requested and she has graciously stated that she is more than happy to help. We are so lucky to have a foster parent that is so flexible and caring. We are thankful for all you do and are so lucky to have you on our team.

Jean and Tamika are in their second year of fostering.  Jean and Tamika have opened their hearts and home to over 8 children during this time.  The children have come with complex trauma and challenging behaviors and Jean and Tamika has never been afraid of a challenge and have welcomed each child into their home with a non-judgmental caring approach.  They are always open and work well with the professional team.  Tamika and Jean have been a huge support to the agency and often have assisted with children in emergency situations.  Thank you, Jean and Tamika, for your commitment and dedication to our children in care.  We are lucky to have you on our team.

Rob has been licensed for several years and has been nothing short of a gem in assisting with our older kids and Teens. Robert provides a welcoming environment and has worked well with many of our challenging youth. We are so happy to have him apart of the Team!  He has a heart for fostering and has been an asset to our children in care.

Samantha and Michael started their fostering journey 8 months ago and have been going strong since the beginning.  They understand the importance of the sibling bond and have been fostering a sibling group of 2 girls since they got the word they were licensed. Samantha and Michael are very caring and go above and beyond for the children in their home.  When asked why they wanted to foster they simply stated they wanted to make a difference in a child’s life and this was a great way for them to do so.  These foster parents treat the foster children as their own and make sure that everyone is treated equally. We are so thankful to have them on our team.