Meet our Families - John & Layne

Meet our Families!

John and Layne have been married for 23 years and have 3 sons. They have been a foster family with MCJFS for 8 years. In that time, they have had 11 children placed in their home and seen many more come and go through respite stays. 

Beginnings
For us it started with the story of one child. Once it became personal and we saw the children involved with the foster care system, it was impossible for us to turn away and go back to living blissfully ignorant lives.

Likes
The relationships we have built through fostering. With the children, of course, but also with their biological families, other foster parents, agency staff, and community partners.

Challenges
Having children leave our home can be very difficult for our family. We rely on each other a lot to grieve together, and we have fantastic friends and family who support us. It’s been important for us to remind ourselves that it’s not really about us. Our feelings are valid and valuable, but we don’t do this to get something out of it. These kids didn’t choose to be in foster care. But we can choose to do something that might be really hard at times so that a child can have a safe, loving family to call home for a little while.

Advice
There are so many unknowns with foster care. Before becoming a foster parent, you have no idea what that’s going to look like for your family. Even if you’ve been fostering for years, you never know who will be staying in your home next, how they will fit in and change your life, or how long they will be there. You can’t change the unknowns, but you do have the opportunity to choose something that is so worthwhile!