As a Resource Peer Mentor (RPM) in Idaho, Kimberly lends support to foster parents, and she does this because she needed support herself. She and her husband currently have six children in the home: two teen boys (biological), two foster children, one adopted young daughter, and one adopted boy who is now in junior high school.

All of Kimberly’s kids have come with challenges, but one in particular tested her compassion and patience.

“Every case is hard,” she said. “Every case. There's not a perfect easy case. There’s not a perfect easy child.” 

The adopted boy was only supposed to stay in foster care for a night four years ago. It took urgent finessing from case workers and managers to get the boy, then only 7, a home for the night.

(Follow this link to watch a video about Kimberly’s experience.)

The reason for the challenge was because the boy exhibited severe and violent behaviors. With other children in her home, Kimberly was afraid. After considerable deliberation, she and her husband agreed to help for 24 hours.

As an RPM, Kimberly has helped train and support lots of foster families (her current case load is 23), so she was uniquely equipped to handle the incoming challenge.

The plan was, “we would get him that evening, and then we would keep him until sometime mid-morning that morning. We were just buying them a little time” to find him a placement at an in-patient facility.

Kimberly made an escape plan for the other children and watched the baby monitor trained on the boy all night. She barely slept.  The case workers were on call in case his behaviors reached a level that was “scary and overwhelming” to the point the police would need to be involved. The plan was for the police to take him away if he acted out.

“We're talking about a 7-year-old being scary enough to need a police officer to remove him from our home,” Kimberly said. “You're scared of every breath you take. You're scared of everything he says.”

“But he was pretty soft, quiet, excited to play with the toys,” she said. “[Foster] kids hold back for a little bit. That honeymoon phase is real. It’s very, very real.”

The only other option for this youth would be inpatient treatment or a psychiatric hold, but for those to be legitimate options he’d need to act out violently first. It put Kimberly on edge, waiting for an inevitable outburst. But it didn’t happen. 

So they were in an uncomfortable limbo in which the boy was supposed to be removed from her home after exhibiting Big Behavior, but the day passed without incident.

So, he stayed another night, and then he stayed for a week. DHW child welfare staff kept close watch, with twice-weekly meetings and full wraparound support—with the boy’s removal to residential support being the likely end result.

But the longer the boy stayed, the better he did. The family handled the blowouts, disruptions, and behavioral uncertainty. He started third grade along with one-on-one daily tutoring. He also went to therapeutic counseling.

Kimberly spent months advocating for the boy—fighting to get him back in school and into routines while facing daily battles over simple tasks like brushing his teeth. Threats, defiance, and chaos were common, but with support from the Department of Health and Welfare and his counselor, she found tools to persist. Though she could have sought police intervention many times, she refused to give up, knowing he needed a home, not a hospital.

He had grown used to instability and expected to be moved when things got hard, but Kimberly’s steady parenting showed him otherwise. She insisted he be held to the same expectations as any child, while recognizing the pain that shaped his behavior. As DHW looked for a long-term placement, she realized how much she had invested in him—so much that the thought of letting go left her panicked.

“They were never going to measure up and be good enough to raise my child that I loved and I'd worked so hard to protect,” she said.

Kimberly and her husband made the decision to adopt the boy themselves.

“It was by far the hardest thing I've ever done,” she said. “He is still by far the hardest kid I've ever had. He still is the hardest kid we currently have. Some of that stuff's embedded in him for the rest of his life. I talk about it constantly, what being starved looks like on an adult's brain. That's inside of him forever.” 

The boy is still behind his peers academically and emotionally, but he is growing fast. He still has some Big Behaviors, but he isn’t going anywhere. He helps with the other foster kids in the house. He’s part of the family.

Why Should I Foster?

Kimberly’s story is sobering, but it’s also inspiring. She said she and her family are better off for their experience fostering. They’ve been softened by love, expanded by compassion, and steadied by the challenges they’ve faced.

“I’m a better human. I’m a better wife. I’m a better mom,” she said. “My husband and I are better partners.”

One of the biggest messages for those considering fostering is that she would walk her path all over again if given the chance.

“I hope people open their eyes to it and get involved in any way they can,” she said. “Foster kids need help. Kids may come dirty. Kids may come starving. They may come with nothing, or they may come with lots of stuff. There are so many kids that need homes.”

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 211 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.

Families come together in all kinds of ways, and for many Idaho children, that means being cared for by grandparents, aunts and uncles, or family friends who step forward to provide safe and loving homes when parents are unable to do so. These kinship caregivers provide stability, love, and a sense of belonging in times of uncertainty. 

The Department of Health and Welfare’s My Family. My Story. art and expression series celebrates those connections by giving children, youth and caregivers a creative space to share their experiences. Through drawings, poems, essays, and other creative expressions, participants share what family means to them. This may include the challenges they’ve faced, the strength they’ve found in one another, and the long-lasting bonds that define kinship care.

Entries this year encompassed a range of submissions that included stories, essays, drawings, and a hand-made quilt created by a kinship caregiver to provide comfort and warmth. 

One drawing featured a family standing closely together and a short essay that concluded: "I would tell other kids living with relatives that you learn lots of stuff like math, reading, traveling, history, and how much you are loved."

Some of the entries from past years offer a window into what this year also echoed. One grandchild wrote of her grandfather as her “hero in real life,” highlighting how ordinary acts of care carry deep meaning. Another narrated the journey from broken dreams to restored hope. Others drew images of safety, security, and connection. 

At its core, the series seeks to provide a platform for voices that are often overlooked — children growing up with relatives or significant adults, and the caregivers who step into loving, sometimes complex, roles. 

Beyond the artwork itself, DHW ties submissions into broader community events like Idaho Kinship Family Day, where submitted art is displayed in story walks and shared with those who attend.

While each piece is personal, collectively they make a powerful point: kinship care is not just a safety net, but a foundation for resilience and connection. 

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

Death cap mushrooms (Amanita phalloides), the world’s deadliest mushrooms, have been spotted again in Boise and reported to the Idaho Division of Public Health. These mushrooms closely resemble edible varieties such as paddy-straw mushrooms or puffballs, making them especially dangerous. Ingesting as little as half a cap can kill an adult, and a small bite can be fatal for pets. Cooking does not neutralize their toxins.

Symptoms and risks
Poisoning symptoms may appear six to 24 hours after ingestion and include violent vomiting, abdominal pain, and profuse watery diarrhea. After several hours, symptoms may subside, creating a false sense of recovery. Within days, severe complications can develop, including jaundice, liver and kidney failure, coma, and death. Prompt medical treatment is critical to survival and may prevent the need for a liver transplant.

What to do in case of exposure
Never eat a wild mushroom unless it has been identified by an expert. If you or a child has eaten an unidentified mushroom, call the poison center at 800-222-1222, contact your healthcare provider, or go to the emergency room immediately. For pets, call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435 or contact a veterinarian. The rule of thumb: when in doubt, throw it out.

Managing mushrooms at home
Death cap mushrooms often grow near imported trees in gardens, parks, and urban settings, and can spread to wild areas. In other regions, they appear in late summer through December, though Idaho’s seasonal risk is unknown. If found in your yard, remove them before mowing by plucking low on the stalk. Wear gloves to avoid soil contaminants, wash hands afterward, and dispose of the mushrooms in the garbage. Do not compost them or place them in wood chip containers. Clean and disinfect garden tools used around affected trees. Spraying will not eliminate the mushrooms toxins.

Tracking and identification
Residents can help monitor the spread by submitting photos to iNaturalist.org. Suspected sightings can also be reported to the Idaho Mushroom Club at info@idahomushroomclub.org. More information is available from the Southern Idaho Mycological Association (https://idahomushroomclub.org ) and the North Idaho Mycological Association at  https://www.facebook.com/IdahoWildMushrooms/ 

Host trees
Death cap mushrooms have a close relationship with certain trees. On the West Coast, death cap mushrooms have been linked to several tree species that also grow in Idaho, including hornbeam, sweet chestnut, filbert, Pacific beaked hazelnut, beech, pines, Douglas fir, Garry oak, English oak, northern red oak, and linden. Keep a look out for death cap mushrooms around older trees of these species, especially if they were imported to Idaho.

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

Although most Idaho residents use city water as their main source for drinking water, nearly 30% of Idaho residents rely on private wells for drinking water. What’s more, private wells are not regulated by any governmental agency. This means it is the well owner’s responsibility to make sure the water is safe to drink.

Some contaminants cannot be tasted, seen or smelled and could cause health problems. The only way to know if it is safe is to have the water regularly tested.

The Idaho Bureau of Laboratories (IBL) provides this service and certifies drinking water laboratories statewide to ensure high quality well water test results are available to protect the health and safety of Idahoans.  

In mid-September 2024, IBL Bureau Chief Dr. Chris Ball and his team wanted to contribute to the department’s wildly important goal of doubling the rate of foster families in a meaningful way. They launched free well water testing for foster families for certified family homes supporting foster children. Since then, they have completed 98 bacteriological tests- and have helped foster families rest easy knowing their drinking water is safe. 

Ball said he’d like to expand the program statewide and especially in rural areas with less access to drinking water labs. However, the biggest challenge is ensuring samples reach the lab within 24 hours of the collection. 

IBL’s contribution to waive fees for foster families shows their dedication to supporting Idaho’s community, especially those who care for vulnerable children. 

Resources for safe drinking water

To help Idahoans determine if their water is safe, IBL teamed up with partners and other state agencies to create an interactive map called Ground Water Quality Near Me. To see test results in your area, enter your address and see if there are elevated levels of contaminants that might be impacting your well water. 

You can also find additional information on a dashboard on the Get Healthy Idaho webpage, which has information regarding regional contaminants, things to test for, testing frequency, and resources for well maintenance that should be done on a well. 

If you have a private well, you may want to get your water tested to protect you and your family’s health. For more details read Drinking Water and Private Wells.

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

The Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) seeks public feedback about how to improve rural healthcare in Idaho through the new Rural Health Transformation Program, created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

The Rural Health Transformation Program provides $10 billion annually across states for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 to transform healthcare in rural communities and ultimately improve patient outcomes. Funds may be used to promote innovation, strategic partnerships, infrastructure development, and workforce investment.

States must apply for funding, and proposals must meet specified criteria.

DHW invites input from rural health care providers, hospitals, clinics, community organizations, payers, workforce entities, universities, Tribal Nations, associations, local governments, and the public to guide Idaho’s application for funding.

Idaho is largely rural, so this is a unique opportunity to make a meaningful difference for our citizens and communities.

Provide your input by Sept. 30 via this online survey.

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

David Ambroz believes every one of us has a role to play in supporting children in foster care and ending child poverty. 

“There’s something any of us, or all of us, can do,” he told an Idaho audience last week. His call to action was clear: to look up, notice the need, and choose to get involved.

On Thursday, Sept. 11, Ambroz spoke at the Riverside Hotel in Boise to a group of professionals who work every day on child welfare cases. The author and national advocate for children shared his personal story of growing up homeless and later entering foster care. 

“The lesson they taught me was crystal clear: I was invisible,” he recalled of his childhood, when he and his family often begged for handouts in New York’s Grand Central Station.

His path was shaped by both hardship and moments of unexpected kindness—like the judge who gave him a sofa to sleep on after he collapsed in court, and the foster parents, Holly and Steve, who kept him even when it was difficult. 

But Ambroz reminded his Idaho audience that the foster care system is strained, and too often young people are left without the support they need.

“Fifty percent of the homeless in America have spent time in foster care,” Ambroz said. “But it doesn’t have to be that way. Everything is a choice. We as a country can make a choice to end child poverty.”

Ambroz urged Idahoans to support foster parents, invest in housing and vocational opportunities for youth, and recognize the vital role of social workers and courts. 

“These are our children. These are your children,” he said. “We really do have the power to make a different decision.”

David Ambroz’s memoir, A Place Called Home, recounts his journey from a childhood of poverty, homelessness, and foster care to becoming an advocate for children and families, offering both a raw account of survival and a hopeful vision for change.

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

Kinship families across Idaho came together for a day of connection, recognition, and fun during the annual Idaho Kinship Family Day this past Saturday. Events were held simultaneously in Meridian, Pocatello, and Coeur d’Alene, drawing relatives, close family friends, and others who step in to provide safe and loving homes for children when parents are unable to do so. 

The Department of Health and Welfare’s (DHW’s) Navigation and 211 teams hosted the events, and each celebration included additional DHW programs and community partners.

In Meridian, more than 100 people gathered under a brilliant blue Idaho sky at Settlers Park. Families enjoyed games, lunch, and a chance to connect with community partners. Volunteers from Casey Family Programs, Department of Health and Welfare staff, and professionals from support organizations were on hand to share resources and cheer on families. 

One of the day’s highlights came when DHW Director Juliet Charron made her first public appearance as director. In her remarks, she commended kinship families for the profound difference they make in children’s lives. 

“Kinship families embody the very heart of what it means to care for one another,” she said. “You open your homes and your hearts to children who need stability and love, and when you do that, you change the trajectory of their lives. 

“On behalf of the Department of Health and Welfare, thank you for the difference you’re making every day. Idaho’s children and communities are stronger because of you.”

The event also featured entries from My Family. My Story., a statewide art and expression series that gives children and caregivers a platform to connect with others who have been in similar circumstances and share their experiences.

One entry by a 9-year-old chronicled how living with grandparents was having an impact. 

“They don’t forget about me, they are there for me, they love me, they help me on school work,” the 9-year-old wrote. “And they are awesome and have really changed my life and are still helping me today.” (grammar adjusted for readability)

At Heritage Park in Pocatello, families gathered for food, outdoor games, and lively conversations with the Navigation team, staff from the Infant Toddler Program, and community partners. The atmosphere was festive, with children running from one activity to another and caregivers sharing stories of resilience and support. The event underscored the strong network of kinship families in eastern Idaho who continue to step forward for children in need.

In Coeur d’Alene, Canvas Church opened its doors to host North Idaho kinship families.  This event was held in partnership with Fostering Idaho. Caregivers and children filled the space with energy and laughter while enjoying crafts, games, and a meal together. Resource booths lined the gathering area, offering information on services ranging from health supports to educational tools. The day provided a meaningful opportunity for caregivers to connect with one another and be celebrated for their essential role.

“Kinship caregivers are heroes,” said Jen Haddad, representing DHW’s Division of Family and Community Partnerships. “You are making a critical and impactful difference in the lives of children every day, and we want to share a heartfelt thank you with each of you.”

Kinship Family Day shone a spotlight on the caregivers who form the backbone of stability for so many Idaho children. By offering connection, community, and recognition, the events honored the families whose love helps make sure that Idaho’s children thrive.

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

Idaho’s child welfare workers are the backbone of our efforts to keep children safe, support families in crisis, and build brighter futures across the state. Every day, these dedicated professionals face challenging circumstances with compassionate commitment to children and families. They connect families with critical resources, investigate reports of abuse or neglect, and advocate for Idaho’s most vulnerable citizens. Much of their work happens quietly, but the impact is profound and long-lasting.

This week is Child Welfare Worker Appreciation Week, a time to pause and recognize the contributions of these professionals who are leading the way to implement major steps forward to strengthen its child welfare system. 

In the past year, Idaho has moved the needle significantly toward the goal of doubling the rate of licensed foster homes through a number of measures, but the backbone of this work is made up of the professionals who coordinate placements, support families, promote permanency, and protect children.

The Department of Health and Welfare also acknowledges the realities of the job—tough caseloads, emotionally demanding situations, and the weight of responsibility that comes with protecting children. 

Despite these challenges, Idaho’s child welfare workers continue to rise to the occasion with creativity, empathy, and a steadfast focus on the wellbeing of children and families.

Please join us this week in showing gratitude to Idaho’s remarkable child welfare professionals. To every child welfare worker across the state: thank you. Your dedication strengthens families, uplifts communities, and creates a brighter future for Idaho’s children and families.

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 211 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.

Jean Fisher is Division Administrator for Youth Safety and Permanency at the Department of Health and Welfare. 

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