Our Foster Parents

"A foster parent is someone who opens their home for children when they cannot safely remain in their own homes. Foster parents provide daily care and supervision, acting in place of the parent to make sure all needs of the child are met until children are reunified with their parents or a permanent living situation is arranged for them."

This short definition is technically true, but it does not even begin to cover the scope of what a foster parent does in reality. At MCJFS, we see our foster parents love these vulnerable children as if they are their very own. We see them stretch the boundaries of what they thought they were capable of to ensure that kids in Medina County feel safe and loved. We see our foster parents work with our kids' team of professionals to help them on the path to healing. We see our foster parents come alongside our kids' birth families to cheer them on and support them on their own path to healing. We see our foster parents love fearlessly and selflessly, knowing that if all goes well they will have to say goodbye to that child.

In short, our foster parents work hard and give much. Often with no expectation of acknowledgement or recognition. And when their hearts are hurting from loving and letting go of yet another child, they rarely hesitate to say yes to the next child in need. 

Yes, our foster parents fill a need in our community. But they do not simply fill a need. They go above and beyond. They shine. Our foster parents are the key to our program's success at MCJFS, and we want to recognize them and thank them for all they do. We want our foster parents to know that their hard work and sacrifice does not go unnoticed. They are changing young lives each and every day - and that bears eternal value.