When my wife and I first became foster parents, our agency advised us to make a list of people we could call upon for tangible, spiritual, or financial support. What we discovered was eye-opening: that seemingly robust list quickly dwindled when challenges arose.
“We called upon our friends and family, but sometimes they just weren’t able to meet us where we were,” I realized. “We kind of retreated into ourselves. We didn’t go out or ask for help because we thought, ‘this was our choice.’ But we also weren’t educated about resources like Dwelling Place that could have provided support and community.”
This gap in support led us to create Dwelling Place, born from our own experiences. One of our key initiatives is hosting quarterly Parents’ Night Out events where foster, kinship, and adoptive families can drop off their children for a few hours while parents rest or reconnect.
“We provide daycare, entertainment, and food for the kids, plus gift cards for parents to enjoy dinner,” I explain. “When you’re not 100% yourself, you can’t give 100% to others.”
The impact has been profound. After each event, families tell us, “This was a lifesaver. This is exactly what we needed.” Those words of encouragement drive us forward.
For anyone considering supporting foster families, my advice is simple: reach out and connect with those already doing this work. One-on-one conversations provide the most valuable, practical insights that social media cannot.
Community involvement isn’t just helpful for foster families—it’s essential.