Staci's Story: Called to Foster, Sustained by a Village
When Staci's family moved to Northeast Kansas, they were quickly confronted with the fostering needs in their community.
As Staci got to know the foster children at her church, she saw their deep yearning for love and acceptance. Through prayer as a family, they felt called by God to become foster parents.
Since then, Staci's family has opened their home to 22 children through short and long-term placements. All have been reunified with their families, the ultimate goal of fostering.
While they find it deeply rewarding, their fostering journey has not been without its challenges. “It's been humbling in many ways, consistently living in the unknown, realizing you have no control,” Staci says.
There have been heartbreaking situations where they disagreed with the system's push for family reunification despite red flags. In those difficult times, Foster Village became a lifeline of support. “They were extremely helpful in telling us our options and made us feel like we had an ally.”
Foster Village's community has been invaluable for Staci and her family through monthly support groups and simple gestures like the Welcome Packs that show newly placed children they are loved and cherished.
Perhaps most importantly for their family, the monthly Caregiver Night Out provides a well-deserved break. “It's such a treat to know I can have a moment to myself and spend time with my husband, and my kids are going to be loved on and taken care of,” Staci says.
“If it wasn't for Foster Village and the community, the ability to relate to others, share openly about the struggles, hear from other families and learn, it would be very difficult to manage the day-to-day of fostering,” Staci says.
➡️ Help be the village for caregiving families like Staci's right here in Northeast Kansas. Join Foster Village's monthly giving program.