Faces of Foster Care

During Foster Care Awareness Month, MDHHS and the Foster, Adoptive and Kinship Parent Collaborative Council hosted the 13th annual Foster, Adoptive and Kinship (FAK) Parent Conference. This event helps build connections within the FAK community, and features training sessions that offer tools, strategies, and guidance to support children and youth with a wide range of needs. During this special weekend, we honored four Families of Excellence. Among this year’s honorees, two families share how their commitment to youth in care has shaped their lives.

During Foster Care Awareness Month, MDHHS and the Foster, Adoptive and Kinship Parent Collaborative Council hosted the 12th annual Foster, Adoptive and Kinship (FAK) Parent Conference. This event helps build connections within the FAK community. During this special weekend we honored four Families of Excellence. These caregivers were nominated by child welfare professionals working with the families and are celebrated for exceeding caregiver expectations.

As a foster mom, Sarah realized she still had much to learn and began collecting available caregiver resources. She soon recognized that many of her fellow foster parents would benefit from these resources but may not have time to find them. Sarah wanted to make a difference in her community. She turned her goal of supporting others into an impactful non-profit that provides resources to foster, adoption and kinship families.

Tayler and Whit always knew they wanted to have children, but they recognized creating their family could be challenging due to being members of the LGBTQ+ community. They decided to welcome children into their home by becoming licensed foster parents, which later created opportunities for adoption of their sons. Learn about the Hattons’ experience raising a medically fragile child and how they became a family of four.

Trina and Aaron started their foster care journey with the help of their pastor and his wife. They connected with a local agency and began providing substitute care, or respite care, for foster parents needing a break. The Richardsons fostered several children and became adoptive parents to their two boys. Read their inspiring story.

The Michigan Foster Care Closet (MFCC) is making a difference in the lives of foster families by providing clothes and toys for youth in foster care. Heather Wing is passionate about the organization and has been involved since the start of her own foster care journey. Learn more about Heather’s experience with foster care and adoption and how you can get involved with foster care in Michigan.

Precious is full of energy. Having grown up in foster care, she leans into challenges and isn’t afraid to put in the work needed to achieve her goals. She embraces new opportunities and heading to college was no exception. Learn more about her transition to college and her encouragement for other teenagers in her position.

The Bell Family jumped in with both feet as they welcomed their first child in foster care. They are now adoptive parents to a sister/brother duo, and biological parents to a son and daughter. They continue foster care work including respite care, in addition to Adam’s role coordinating the Macomb County Faith Communities Coalition (FCC).

Sarah began her foster care journey when she welcomed a teen boy who needed a place to stay into her home. Two years later, she was asked to
foster another teen boy. Over the course of the last 10 years, Sarah has welcomed over 20 teen boys into her home.

At 37 years old Jackie Gant was living in Chicago. She was an accomplished professional with a great job, good income and opportunities to travel across the United States. Even with this success, Jackie still felt there was something missing from her life, but she didn’t know what. She left her job, returned to school, and found a new purpose as an adoptive parent and Foster Care Navigator.