Southern Idaho family opens their doors and hearts to teen in need

December 12, 2024

DHW Communications

When a teenage boy had nowhere else to turn, he turned to his friends, hoping one of their families might take him in. One family did, opening their home and hearts to provide him with a safe place to land during one of the most difficult times of his life.

This is a story about the power of a foster family's love and the difference it made in a young man's life. (Follow this link to watch a version of this story on Youtube.)

Christine, a busy working mother in southern Idaho, had a full and orderly life with her husband and two children. They had a comfortable routine, a stable home, and no plans for major upheavals. But that changed when one of their son's friends-a high school senior who could no longer live with his family-approached them with a difficult question: "Can anyone take me in?"

Unable to stay in his own home, he'd begun asking friends if their families could provide him shelter. One of those friends, Christine's son, brought the question home.

It was a big ask, one that Christine and her family didn't take lightly. They had a spare room and the ability to help, but weren't sure if they could or should. They were concerned with how it might affect their family dynamic.

Christine was familiar with the concept of serving families through her professional work, but fostering was new territory. She and her husband had also considered fostering before, but it never materialized. But this time the opportunity came to them.

"I really admired him for reaching out," she said. "It was very moving to me."

Ultimately, Christine and her family chose to take him in. The Idaho kinship and caregiving program, which allows children to be cared for by relatives, tribal members, or close family friends like Christine, provided the framework. The program prioritizes maintaining family connections and cultural traditions by relying on relatives and friends.

They prepared a room, letting the young man decorate it to make it his own, and welcomed him to their dining table as if he had always been part of their family. But the journey wasn't without challenges.

"We knew he had conflicts and struggles in his original home, which is why he needed to move," Christine said. "Was he going to bring some of that conflict into our home?"

Yet, challenges were met with love, patience, and determination.

"Some days have been hard, but my husband and I have looked at each other many times and said, 'this is one of the best things we've ever done,'" Christine said. "It gives us joy to see this young person growing up, maturing, and feeling like we were able to help him on his way. I can't think of anything more impactful than helping a child get on the path to success."

As the young man approached 18, the age at which many foster children "age out" of the system, the family faced another big decision. In 2021 Idaho enacted a law allowing foster youth to remain with their families and continue receiving assistance until the age of 21.

She gave her foster son the choice. She recalled asking him what he wanted to do while driving him to the Department of Health and Welfare to work out the paperwork.

"What are you going to say?" she recalled asking him.

His response: "It's up to you, too."

"We want you to stay," she told him.

He chose to remain with them, graduating from high school and continuing to live with the family.

"We've told him he is part of our family forever," Christine said. "We want to go to his wedding someday. We want to be there for all his life events. He realizes he is part of the family."

Christine's story is one of courage and compassion-a testament to the power of opening one's home to a child in need. It's not just a story of fostering; it's a story of creating family.

If you've ever considered fostering, know that your willingness to offer a home-even for one season-can change a child's life forever. For more information, call 2-1-1 or visit the Department of Health and Welfare's foster care page. You could be the difference that turns a story of struggle into one of hope and belonging.

Kinship care statistics
10,574-the number of grandparents in Idaho responsible for children under the age of 18. This does not account for the thousands of children living informally with other relatives or close family friends.
1 out of 11-the number of children nationally who live in kinship care at some point before turning 18.

Helpful links:

• Treatment foster care: https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/services-programs/children-families/child-and-family-services-and-foster-care/treatment-foster-care
  Apply to become a foster parent: https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/services-programs/children-families/child-and-family-services-and-foster-care/apply-become-foster
• Kinship care: https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/services-programs/children-families/child-and-family-services-and-foster-care/about-kinship-and

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov.

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