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.

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 an emotionally charged part of this job. I read every one, and while each is a story about loss, it’s also a story about support and hope.

Each November we observe National Adoption Month to honor and support adoptive families and highlight the thousands of children in need of permanent, loving homes. In Idaho, this month is particularly meaningful as we celebrate the families who have opened their hearts to children in foster care. 

There are different types of adoption. An adoption done through DHW is a public agency adoption that’s facilitated by the department or another state or county social service department. The department does not provide private adoptions.

In a public agency adoption, the department has custody of the children in foster care and typically works with a birth family to try to reunite them for 12 months. If that can’t occur, the court may terminate parental rights, and the child is available for adoption.

The journey toward adoption can be challenging but also comes with rewards. Adoptive families provide a sense of belonging and security that every child deserves. For children who have experienced the instability of foster care, adoption offers the promise of consistency, love, and a chance to thrive.

For these reasons and more, DHW is working to transform child welfare in Idaho by doubling the rate of resource families. This means reducing the number of kids in the system, increasing the number of foster families, or both. And a piece of the puzzle includes adoption for children that, for whatever unfortunate reason or reasons may exist, cannot return to their parents.

National Adoption Month is a reminder that everyone has a role to play in supporting adoption. Whether by adopting, fostering, or spreading awareness, all Idahoans can make a difference.

This month, we are particularly focused on finding families for Idaho’s older youth in foster care who are often overlooked but have so much potential. A stable home environment can transform these young lives, providing not only a safe space to grow but also the encouragement to pursue their dreams.

To all of Idaho’s adoptive families, thank-you for your commitment. Your love and dedication create brighter futures and stronger communities. For those considering becoming foster or adoptive parents, please reach out to our team to learn more about this life-changing journey. Together, we can create a future where every child has a family to call their own.

Below are more resources for people seeking additional information about adoption in Idaho:

•    Information about adoption through foster care: https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/services-programs/children-families/child-and-family-services-and-foster-care/about-adoption

•    Private adoption information: https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/services-programs/children-families/child-and-family-services-and-foster-care/private-adoption

•    Adoption and guardianship assistance: https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/services-programs/children-families/child-and-family-services-and-foster-care/adoption-and

Photo caption: One Idaho family celebrates adoption of their newest family member at the courthouse.

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 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 streams for effective interventions.

Led by Bureau Chief Stacy Corbett, the bureau is part of the Division of Youth Safety and Permanency and is divided into several focused units, each serving a unique role in supporting children, families, and foster care providers:

1. Family First Clinicians: This unit is responsible for conducting assessments to determine the appropriateness of congregate care placements. These clinicians collaborate with field staff to identify necessary supports, facilitate referrals to the congregate care, and to ensure that youth receive the care they need. 

2. Family Support Unit: The Family Support Unit works closely with biological families and foster families to prevent placement disruptions and avoid removals, support youth transitioning back into their communities, and provide access to community-based services.

3. Congregate Care Unit: This unit oversees the placement process for youth requiring residential care. Key responsibilities include reviewing assessments to ensure youth are matched to the most appropriate settings and prioritizing in-state options before considering out-of-state placements, collaborating with to determine medical necessity for Medicaid-funded services, monitoring active placements to ensure treatment plans align with a youth’s needs and readiness for discharge, and supporting discharge planning to facilitate smooth transitions to the next placement or community setting.

4. Warm Line: The Warm Line will provide crisis support to foster parents facing challenges that could disrupt placements or result in youth being moved to alternate settings. Available through a clinical lens, this service will assess community resources and offer access to mobile crisis teams, crisis centers trained in trust-based relational intervention, crisis intervention and suicide prevention.

The Continuum of Care Bureau’s comprehensive structure underscores DHW’s commitment to improving outcomes for youth in foster care. By providing support for both families and providers, the bureau aims to stabilize placements, reduce disruptions, and promote successful reintegration into communities.

This initiative represents a step forward in Idaho’s efforts to build a more responsive and effective foster care system.

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

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 summer.

“Since welcoming our 1-year-old foster placement, the transformation has been nothing short of miraculous,” he wrote in a LinkedIn post that went viral this summer. “Once tense and reserved, she is now beginning to giggle and laugh, her radiant smile lighting up every room she enters. The joy she brings to our family is indescribable.”

In addition to his day job as president and CEO of a retirement plan consulting firm, Freedom Fiduciaries, Hanson is founder of a nonprofit called Freedom Youth Foundation. With the slogan, “It’s for the kids,” the organization’s mission is to empower foster youth by providing them with the tools, skills, and support they need to build successful futures.

While he’s spent 13 years working with foster youth, he said he and his wife grappled with some common challenges when it came to the decision to sign up as foster parents themselves. 

“We have four kids. We were struggling just to keep afloat as a family,” he said. “In my mind, I was thinking: Is it the right time to have a great environment for a foster child, and are we going to bring them into chaos?”

It's a situation and sentiment many families likely share, but Hanson stressed that there’s a lot that families can do in addition to becoming foster parents. They can donate to nonprofits, volunteer with groups like Freedom Youth Foundation, or spread the word to encourage others to get involved.

“We need foster families, but not everyone is going to be able to make that jump,” he said. “So what about respite? And what about coming out and helping us work with the kids?”

Freedom Youth Foundation’s work

Hanson is a new foster father, but his roots helping kids in foster care learn life skills goes back decades. Freedom Youth Foundation harnesses the universal language of athletics to teach life skills such as accountability, leadership, and teamwork. It’s also expanded its curriculum the last few years to include resume writing, mock interviews, and basic financial literacy.

The program was born in 2011 when Hanson, a collegiate basketball player working in Serbia, was asked to participate in a United Nations peace-promoting initiative. He coached 150 young people who came from the war-torn former Yugoslavian region.

“It broke down barriers, and I watched as basketball brought kids together whose parents and grandparents had killed each other,” he said. “It deeply, deeply impacted me. I realized basketball could be so much more than a sport that I loved.”

Originally called Progression Athletics International, the organization started in southern California and went to work hosting basketball, soccer, and other sports events to bring kids together and teach positive life skills. Hanson expanded into Idaho in 2017 and rebranded as Freedom Youth Foundation in 2022.

Just this summer, the organization secured a Treasure Valley headquarters, which hosted a grand opening in October. The facility includes office space, storage for sports equipment, a large room fit for hosting meetings and events, and a clothing exchange called Parker’s Closet, named for his daughter whose idea it was to collect new clothes that foster kids could have for free to help them feel important and valued.

Freedom Youth Foundation is continuing to expand its circle of influence in Idaho. It connected with the state late in 2023 by providing Christmas gifts for kids in temporary foster care in Nampa. In spring 2024, it helped coordinate considerable community contributions like painting and electrical work for a new state-run foster care facility in Payette. 

“Doors keep opening, and we keep checking out what’s on the other side,” Hanson said. “It’s been incredible. I equate it to: we’re learning to surf with a tidal wave of positive momentum at our back.”

Becoming a foster dad himself

Despite decades spent working with foster kids Hanson and his wife are only discovering what it’s like to be foster parents themselves. 

And it’s clearly a moving experience.

He recalled a moment that took place taking their foster daughter through the chaotic environment of a drive-through carwash.

“She was terrified, clutching her car seat with wide, frightened eyes. In that moment of distress, I reached my hand into her seat. She grasped my thumb with a sense of relief and trust, and in an instant her fear melted away.”

Hanson said this small moment underscores the importance of stepping forward as foster parents.

“A stable home, a reassuring presence, and unconditional love can make all the difference in a child’s life,” he said. “If we could all be a kid, we’d want to be. They don’t worry about taxes, clocking in, clocking out. What they want is to be happy, loved, supported, and provided the opportunity to grow, nurture, and thrive.”

By sharing some of his experience working with foster kids and becoming a foster parent himself, Hanson hopes others will be inspired to get involved as well.

“What greater impact can you have than helping a child have a safe and nurturing home, whether you’re going to adopt them or care for them temporarily. It comes back to: what would you want for your kids if something happened to you? I’d want people to step up.”

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

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 priority to ensure they have the resources and support they need to succeed. 

One of the department’s opportunities is to communicate as much as possible with foster families. To address this, we’re excited to announce two new initiatives designed to enhance connection and provide better access to information: a monthly foster family newsletter and a monthly foster parent community forum. Both launch this week.

Foster Family Monthly

Our new foster family newsletter, Foster Family Monthly, launched this week and will serve as a key resource to keep foster parents informed and empowered. It will include timely updates on policies, upcoming events, training opportunities, and essential resources for foster families. 

In addition, the newsletter will highlight success stories from the foster care community, showcasing the impact foster families have on children’s lives. By delivering this information directly to foster families’ inboxes and mailboxes, the department aims to make it easier for foster parents to access the tools and guidance they need to provide the best possible care.

Foster parent community forum

In tandem with the newsletter, the department is launching an online foster parent community forum, with the first convening this Thursday. 

Fostering Community Connections – Foster Family Forum is a monthly opportunity for foster parents 
throughout Idaho to meet virtually, learn about successful community efforts to support foster youth, and share resources. Each month will feature a Department of Health and Welfare program with ties to foster youth, as well as a community partner agency working to support foster families. Each session will also include time for foster parents to ask questions about regional resources.

The fostering journey can be challenging, and we believe that having a strong network of peers can make a significant difference. The forum will allow foster parents, whether new or experienced, to find helpful information and nurture a sense of community.

Direct support for resource families

Both of these initiatives reflect the department’s ongoing commitment to support foster families and improving the overall foster care experience. 

By providing direct communication and opportunities for connection, we hope to strengthen the support system for those who play such a critical role in the lives of children. 

We’re excited to introduce these tools and look forward to the positive impact they will have. Thank you for your continued partnership in making a difference for children in need.

Monty Prow is deputy director of Child, Youth and Family Services. He’s dedicated his career to supporting youth and families, most recently serving as director of the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections.

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

Nearly 100 Treasure Valley-area foster kids gathered on the BLUE turf at Albertsons Stadium Thursday night to run, kick, catch, throw, and flip with 75 Boise State student-athletes.

“This is for the foster kids, just out here having fun,” said Boise State football safety Travis Anderson. “We’ve got soccer, track, softball, football—just having fun with the kids.”

Different sports and activities were organized at stations on the BLUE. Anderson and some of his teammates ran a basketball station. Other stations included softball, gymnastics, soccer, tackling, passing, golf and more--even a touchdown dance competition. Indoor stations included arts and crafts, including a friendship bracelet station.

“It’s just awesome to see that we can touch these kids’ lives for just one night,” said junior gymnast Sydney Leitch. “I’m a child at heart, and this is just my vibe. A shout-out to the Boise State community and to these families for letting us be a part of their day and their year.”

Including foster families and student-athletes, the Fostering Future Broncos event attracted about 250 people who braved the Treasure Valley’s first cold snap of the autumn season. The vibe was supportive and fun. The night included high fives, fist bumps, cheers, and innumerable smiles. 

“This is a super fun way to connect with foster children in the Boise area,” said softball outfielder Megan Lake, who played a key role in helping organize the event. “As a kid it’s easy to get stuck in a routine, so they’re getting out of their comfort zones, coming out here, and hanging out with us. And this helps me get out of my comfort zone, too. We get to hang out with kids, get loose, and have fun.”

Fostering Future Broncos was a partnership between the Department of Health and Welfare, Boise State University, and Freedom Youth Foundation. It’s the most recent example of partnerships and initiatives the department is forging to recognize and honor foster families and foster children, as well as increase the number of foster families.

Other actions have included waiving adoption fees through the department, simplified licensure of foster homes, launch of a new Foster Parent Bill of Rights, encouraging Idaho businesses to offer paid time off for new foster families, free access to state parks, and more.

“A huge thanks goes out to Boise State student-athletes and administrators who made this inspiring event happen,” said DHW Director Alex Adams. “Their commitment to fostering positive relationships and creating joyful memories for these children is something truly special. It’s about more than just one night—it’s about showing these kids they’re valued and part of our community. Go Broncos!”

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

A Treasure Valley foster mom wants Idahoans to consider how meaningful it can be to make a difference for a family in crisis. In the past four years she and her family have welcomed 16 foster children into their home. She hopes it’s something more Idahoans will consider. 

“I’m very passionate about supporting foster care in the Treasure Valley. Once you see the need, you can’t unsee it,” said Becca. “Once you start putting a face to these kids and you hear their stories—and even as you get to know the biological families and start to know their stories—you can’t not love them. I love them so much, and I root for them.” 

Becca said her upbringing predisposed her to giving back through the foster care program, but signing up still gave her pause. She and her husband have four children of their own, and they worried about how fostering might impact their family. 

“I was worried that I didn’t have the capacity to do what it takes because our life was already so busy. I was also so scared about how fostering might affect our kids, what they might be exposed to, what they might learn,” she said. “Would they get enough attention? Would they have their needs met?” 

But those fears have proved unfounded, and they’ve been surprised at the positive impact it’s had on the family. 

“I can tell you that foster care has absolutely affected my kids. They’re more compassionate; they’re more loving; their world view has changed; they love with bigger hearts, offer more grace. They get to cheer on our biological families; they have a front-row seat to seeing families lives changed.” 

Becca described the recent experience of receiving a Mother’s Day card from the mom of two of the children she’d cared for during a time of family difficulty: The last line of the card said, “You cared for my girls when I was too broken to do so.” 

Each foster care story is unique, but the card from a grateful biological mother helps illustrate that being a foster family is about being part of the village for another family in our community and that many are about hope: hope that kids will be given the love they need to succeed and hope that biological families will find their footing when they can.  

“As foster parents, you’re loving the whole family,” Becca said. “You’re not just saying I’m better equipped to parent this child. You’re saying: here’s a family in crisis and you’re helping the whole unit.” 

If you are interested in becoming a foster parent, it can be as small as committing to one kid for one season of their life. Please call 2-1-1 or (800) 926-2588, or visit DHW's foster care page for more information. Your willingness to open your home can make a profound difference in a child’s life. 

“It’s not easy,” Becca said. “It’s the hardest thing we’ve ever done, but it’s the best thing we’ve ever done.” 

• Watch a short video Becca recorded to help others understand more about fostering.

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 kinship families came together last month to celebrate Idaho Kinship Family Day, which recognizes and honors families in which relatives or adults with a significant relationship with a child take on the responsibility of parenting when parents aren’t able to.

The Kinship Day events DHW hosted in Boise, Idaho Falls, and Coeur d’Alene were hosted in outdoor spaces and included presentations, games, lunch, and exhibitions of artwork submitted as part of My Family. My Story., an art and expression series DHW has sponsored annually since 2011.

The intent of My Family. My Story. is to help children, youth, and kinship caregivers express and feel connected to others in kinship care, and to celebrate and honor the contributions of kinship caregivers. It’s also an opportunity to celebrate partners who walk alongside kinship families in their journeys. 

This year’s art and expressions were moving. Through drawings, photography, poetry, and essays, kinship caregivers and children who submitted entries to My Family. My Story. helped illustrate the important contributions kinship care makes for Idahoans. 

Some examples from this and previous years include:

• A grandchild expressing that her grandpa is her “hero in real life” because he teaches her how to do many things
• A grandchild who drew a picture of herself looking out her bedroom window thinking “I don’t have to wish upon a star because all of my dreams have come true”
• Children expressing feelings of safety and security
• Children expressing love for their grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other family members
• Children describing the feeling of broken dreams followed by restored hope
• A grandmother expressing her journey as a kinship caregiver by creating a photo quilt

In addition to the My Family. My Story. story walks, the Kinship Day events also included presentations from DHW staff, a reading of a Kinship Day proclamation signed by Idaho Gov. Brad Little, celebrations of kinship champions, and resources and information from DHW and community partners.

Though there are many kinship caregivers in Idaho, the majority aren’t aware of assistance that’s available to them. There is a list of resources available on the 2-1-1 Idaho CareLine: Kinship and Caregiving. 

Resources include financial, legal, kinship navigation, support, respite and educational information. If you are a kinship caregiver, please take a look, and if you know a kinship caregiver, please pass along this information about the resources available to help them in their labor of love.

For more information about resources and supports available to kinship caregivers and children, visit the DHW website at https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/services-programs/kinship-and-caregiving.

Kinship caregivers are an important part of the supports provided to children and families in need. Unfortunately, the need for additional foster families in Idaho is constant, with a specific demand for those who can care for sibling groups, adolescents, and children with more complex needs. Foster and kinship parents provide a lifeline, offering stability and care to children who need it most.

If you are interested in becoming a foster parent, please call 2-1-1 or 800-926-2588, or visit DHW's foster care page for more information. Your willingness to open your home can make a profound difference in a child’s life.

DHW would like to recognize the community partners who attended this year’s Kinship Family Day events and provided information to families, including: The Infant Toddler Program, Children’s Developmental Disabilities, Public Health, Resource and Service Navigation, 2-1-1 Idaho CareLine, WIC, Casey Family Programs, Family Caregiver Navigator Program, Relatives As Parents, Fostering Idaho, Idaho Children’s Trust Fund, Friends of Children and Families Inc., Head Start and Early Head Start, Mountain States Early Head Start,  Area Agency on Aging, Optum, The Autism Society, Children’s Village, Canvas Church, Canvas Food Pantry and Clothing Closet, CASA, Village of Health, and Panhandle Health. 

Follow this link to view entries to the My Family. My Story. arts and expressions series. 

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

Crisis prevention training is paying off for staff and residents at the Nampa-based Southwest Idaho Treatment Center (SWITC), a department-run home for adults with intellectual disabilities. 

Since 2019, SWITC has used programming from the Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) to implement tailored training across the facility, providing all staff with proactive de-escalation skills to recognize and prevent incidents of violence. SWITC was featured in September in a CPI case study showcasing its success.

Facing lost work hours due to staff injuries and increased spending from workers’ compensation claims, SWITC needed a sustainable training solution that would encompass all staff roles and scenarios they experienced.

The training is paying off.

SWITC has experienced a 65% decrease in workers’ compensation claims, 75% fewer work hours lost due to injury, and a 66% reduction in the use of restraints. Gaining de-escalation techniques specific to client behaviors has allowed SWITC to strengthen rapport clients. 

Since implementing Crisis Prevention Institute programming, SWITC has trained more than 450 employees and embedded seven certified instructors across the facility.

It has also created operational cost savings.

“The investment in CPI training has helped us retain staff because they feel equipped with the tools they need,” said SWITC Administrative Director Jamie Newton. “When staff know what to do in a crisis situation and have the support they need, they’re more likely to stay.”

• Read SWITC’s Crisis Prevention Institute case study here: https://www.crisisprevention.com/customer-success-stories/human-services/southwest-idaho-treatment-center/

New video helps SWITC residents and their families get oriented

A new DHW video called “Discover the Southwest Idaho Treatment Center: A Campus Overview” is designed to help residents and their families get acquainted with the facility.

The video offers a visual tour of the 600-acre campus while a narrator explains about SWITC’s purpose and how it serves Idahoans. 

“Many times, clients arrive to live at SWITC having never visited prior to moving in,” Newton said. “We’re excited to have this video to share with prospective clients and their families so that they can learn a bit more about SWITC and what to expect before they arrive. It is our desire to make the transition as positive an experience as it can be.” 

• Check out the new video: “Discover the Southwest Idaho Treatment Center: A Campus Overview.”

Treasure Valley foster families converged on Lucky Peak State Park last Sunday to take advantage of a new program offered jointly by the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation and Department of Health and Welfare (DHW). In all, more than 100 people gathered in the park to learn about camping, boating safety, fire safety, fishing, and a lot more.

This was the first of a planned series of events for foster families that will take place statewide in the coming year. Called Outdoor FUNdamentals, the next will be hosted at a different state park later this fall. Please stay tuned for details.

Earlier this summer, Idaho Parks and Rec and DHW joined forces to give all Idaho foster families free access to Idaho’s state parks via the Idaho State Park Foster Family Passport. The new program is an extension of that initiative.

There was a palpable sense of community and camaraderie at Lucky Peak State Park on Sunday that was made more festive with contributions by Regence BlueShield of Idaho, Idaho Business for the Outdoors, CLIF Bar, Scheels, and a number of other agencies and vendors like the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Idaho Youth Conservation Corps.

In addition to outdoor-focused educational experiences and materials, the event included free food, a raffle, and prizes. 

The event also highlighted the 10 Outdoor Essentials that all adventurers should come prepared with before they venture into the outdoors, including water, snacks, sunscreen, and more. 

Additionally, foster families who attended were able to check out the Idaho State Parks Experience Idaho Loaner Backpacks, which are available at nearly every Idaho state park. The Experience Idaho Backpacks are free and filled with outdoor gear like binoculars, identification guides, and aquatic nets. 

The new Outdoor FUNdamentals program is just one of many new focused goals DHW has pledged to help recruit, retain, and help foster families get the help and assistance they need. 

The department has waived all adoption fees through the department, simplified licensure of foster homes, and released a Foster Parent Bill of Rights.

It has also reorganized its child welfare leadership team and program structure, worked with Gov. Brad Little to expand paid parental leave for new foster parents, and sponsored screenings of the film, “Sound of Hope,” which chronicles the true story about 22 families who adopted 77 kids from the foster system.

And it has partnered with Idaho Parks and Rec to roll out the Idaho State Park Foster Family Passport. If you have questions about the passport program, please visit the attached FAQ. 

Celebrate Kinship Day this weekend!

Idaho Kinship Family Day will be celebrated this Saturday, Sept. 21, at outdoor parks in Boise, Idaho Falls and Coeur d’ Alene. The events will include food, games, prizes, and activities for families to participate in together, as well as information and resources about kinship care.

Events in all three cities are from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and specific locations are as follows:

• Boise - Kristen Armstrong Municipal Park Shelter, 500 S. Walnut St.
• Coeur d’Alene - Borah Elementary, 632 E. Borah Ave.
• Idaho Falls - South Capital Park, 270 S. Capital Ave.

Activities and events are linked to supporting relatives and kin who are caring for children and promoting resources that support the health, safety, and stability of children and families. The activities also support services that help prevent children from entering formal foster care so they can stay with their kin.  For more information and to RSVP for the celebration, please visit Idaho Kinship Family Day Celebration.

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