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How a lifetime of service shaped one Idaho foster family
Jesse and Hailey are Idaho foster parents who understand firsthand how complicated families can be. In fact, it’s something they both grew up with.Hailey’s childhood home was often full. Her siblings mixed with extended family members and foster youth her mother cared for, sometimes swelling to a dozen children on weekends.Jesse’s upbringing looked different but was no less
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The new foster parent handbook, A Guide to Fostering in Idaho: Nurturing Kids, Building Families, was recently mailed to Idaho foster families. Designed for both
For children in foster care, the effects of instability, stress, and trauma can be overwhelming. Fly fishing is emerging as a therapeutic tool, offering kids a chance
When a child is removed from their home for their own safety and placed with foster parents, everything they’ve known is disrupted. They have new rooms, live with new
Idaho Gov. Brad Little kicked off the 2025 Legislative Session on Monday, Jan. 6, addressing lawmakers in a State of the State address and making a budget
Foster parents in Idaho are experiencing a growing sense of support, according to the 2024 Idaho Resource Parent Survey.This annual survey, which has been measuring
This December, I had the honor of signing adoptions for 30 Idaho kids, ensuring that they’re receiving the gift of safe, permanent, loving families for the holidays.
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
Since starting my job as director of the Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) in June, I’ve signed 95 adoption papers for children being adopted from foster care into new families and waived adoption fees to help make adoption through the department easier.Signing adoptions is
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) has introduced a new Continuum of Care Bureau to enhance support for youth and families in the state’s foster care system. Its goal is to ensure that congregate care placements are appropriate while optimizing the use of funding
Treasure Valley resident Shane Hanson has been providing for kids in foster care for more than a decade, but he just became a foster father for the first time this
Foster parents play a vital role in creating a safe and nurturing environment for children and youth in their care, and it is the Department of Health and Welfare’s