Meet our Families - Katie

Meet our Families!

Katie has been a foster parent with MCJFS for 4 years and lives with her 22-year old son and her 10-year old daughter. Katie has fostered three children and adopted one. 

Beginnings
My parents fostered when I was growing up, so foster care was not new to me. When my son was in high school, I was not ready to have more kids of my own, but I was also not ready to be an empty nester. I had been thinking about foster care for many years, so I finally took the classes and got licensed. 

Likes
I like the fun chaos of foster care. Kids bring so much joy and you get to relive, relearn, and relove things through them. Life is way more joyful when you can look past the everyday challenges and laugh. 

Challenges
The constant testing and constant reminders can be exhausting. All you can do is prove that you are consistent and secure. I tell the kids in my home that I will always fight for them. Sometimes that means fighting with them, but I’m always in their corner. Getting them to recognize that when they think you’re going to give up on them can be tough.

Advice
Be willing to try. Be willing to put in the effort. No one is going to be super successful as a foster parent. You just have to be willing to try. If you put in the effort, things will work out. It truly takes a village to raise a child. Use the support of other foster parents and reach out when you need help.