Krystal is an Idaho foster mom whose compassion and good will are rooted in experience.

When she was 11 or 12 and her older siblings had moved away, her mom took in youth who didn’t immediately have a place to go in times of crisis. The family didn’t have a lot of resources, and they weren’t wealthy, but they had big hearts and opened their door.

“It was helpful to have a kid there like myself to help them through that initial process of transitioning to another place,” Krystal said. “Seeing where these other children came out of made me appreciate more of what I had in my life and all the things my mom provided to me.”

(Watch a video version of Krystal’s story here.)

Krystal’s sense of compassion developed in adulthood. She studied and found work helping the mentally ill in Idaho. She got married and had a child. The couple thought they were one-and-done parents, but circumstance and their own good will changed that.

At daycare, Krystal discovered a young boy who didn’t have winter clothes. Their son was growing out of some of his clothes, so they offered the boy some hand-me-downs.

Krystal then learned the boy was in foster care and needed a home. She asked herself, “could we do that?” When she brought it up with her husband, his first reaction was, “we could do that.”

Building trust

Uncertainty works against trust, and when the boy arrived in Krystal’s home he was worried someone would take him away.

“He had so much independence it was almost a fault,” Krystal said, describing that he wouldn’t even let her help him out of a car seat.

He was 2 years old, and he didn’t trust. It took time for them to foster a sense of security and for the boy to accept help.

“I started to explain the ‘why’ to him,” Krystal said. “He was still so little. I verbalized everything, explained it. He has something engrained in him from the environment he was in before.”

Learning to be a family

The boy is now 6, almost 7, and a permanent part of Krystal’s home as an adopted son. Even so, the process continues. He learned that his brother can help him brush his teeth, but at first he resisted.

“I explained to him, ‘Your brother is here doing the same task as you are. He’ll help you, too,’” she said.

It was an adjustment for their biological son as well. He was an only child, and suddenly there was another boy in the house. But Krystal was filled with hope as she watched their growing relationship.

“To see it in action, it was so fulfilling as a parent to see your child’s first reaction was kindness,” she said.

Foster care and adoption may be two of the ultimate forms of goodwill, and for Krystal and her family, the goal is to keep this young Idahoan in their family forever.

Now, years later, the promise is kept, and Krystal’s core compassion, learned from her mother when she was a girl, has matured into a generational kindness that endures.

Idaho needs foster parents

If you’ve ever considered fostering, know that your willingness to offer a home—even for one child 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.

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