At Youth for Christ we believe that every child deserves a permanent family. First and foremost we believe in the restoration of families, but when restoration can not take place, we seek out permanency through our foster-to-adopt families. In 2009, YFC assisted in giving 24 foster children permanency and a “forever family” through adoption. In a system where children can have multiple placements and may languish in foster care for years, these 24 children now have a place to call home.

I recently finished reading an amazing book on adoption called “Adopted for Life” by Russell Moore. The book describes Moore’s experience with adopting two boys from Russia and the emotions and hardships that came along with the adoption process. While international adoption is very different from foster care adoption, the information in the book is very applicable to those who are interested in adoption through the foster care system. One of my favorite parts of Moore’s book is a section where he talks about life after adoption as well as how all believers have experienced adoption because Christians are adopted by God through Christ! Let me share with you what Moore says:

“Some unique challenges go along with adoption-challenges related to finding a sense of belonging, to discipline and discipleship, to answering questions about origins. Count these as all joy. They point all of us- not just kids who are adopted- to the gospel. The gospel welcomes us and receives us as loved children…the gospel shows us that we were born into death and then shows us, by free grace, that we’re adopted for life.”

This book is worth reading if you have thought about adopting a child or know someone who has adopted!
-Ciara Spacone

Kids in foster care have to adjust to a whole new set of rules, routines, and sometimes culture when they change homes.  They struggle with feeling accepted, longing for their birth parents, and learning to heal from the hurts they’ve experienced.  The foster parents at Youth For Christ do an amazing job of loving these kids right where they are at and helping to propel them forward in every area of development.  They also do whatever they can to make their kids feel special and a part of the family for as long or short of a time that they are there.

 I would like to highlight one of my families who have really devoted their past 8 months to helping two of these kids.  This family capitalizes on the strength of their foster kids and let them shine in the areas where they are strong.   They have special movie nights, play dates, and cooking times.  Every night, these girls will dance in the living room with their foster dad, as it is their favorite activity.    They love being “princesses” and have a chest full of play clothes.  One special evening, their foster mom bought the girls and the foster dad tickets to a “Father-Daughter Dance.”  These girls were able to dress like princesses, dance all night, and be accompanied by their “dad.”  There is a scripture that says, “The lonely will be healed in families.”  I believe this is true.

 Katie Bass

While most of us are with our families, enjoying party after party, gift exchanges, exorbitant amounts of food and singing songs like “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”, Christmas in foster care can be starkly different.  While our foster parents do an excellent job of making their foster children a part of their family, and loving them like their own, for our birth parents, it can be a very painful time.  For some, it is the first Christmas without their children. To some, it’s just another day. No presents are exchanged, and no special meal is cooked.                                                                                                                                       Over the past couple years, we’ve started giving some sort of Christmas gift to our birth parents, who are actively involved in their children’s lives through visitation at our agency. We decided to do something a little bit different this year for our parents. I’ve recently taken an interest in photography and purchased had just purchased my first DSLR camera this year, so we decided back in November to start taking really nice pictures of these precious kids and doing 8 x 10 prints for these parents. With the help of our awesome church partner, Chapel Hill and some community members in  Gig Harbor, who had contacted us asking how they could help, we were provided with 35 nice frames for these prints. I wish I could share with you these pictures, however,  we have to keep from posting any pictures of specific foster kids on the web.  Just know that they turned out so incredibly well. Giving these gifts to our parents went over beautifully. Many parents shed tears of gratefulness as they unwrapped these pictures, and told us where they would hang them in their home, or who they couldn’t wait to show. I, myself, was convicted heavily as to what I take for granted during this time of year. Even something like photographs, which are an abundant commodity to most Americans in our age of digital photography, email and facebook, can be the most treasured  and appreciated gift, in their simplest form.  - Sarah

Every year YFC hosts a Christmas Party for all our families, a time to celebrate the season and bless our foster families.  Four years ago a foster mom, Becky Rhodes, a prior teacher decided that she wanted to start the Hand-in-Hand program to celebrate our foster kids with her students. Becky is no longer a teacher but now a staff at YFC and every year since she has worked tirelessly to recruit churches, businesses, and individual families to help sponsor this night.

On December 17th, 2009 over 100 families gathered to celebrate Christmas. Youth for Christ was honored to sever 248 Children; these children included, foster, adopted, and biological children of TYFC foster families. Children in Receiving Care that were placed hours before the party and After Care children received gifts as well. What a blessing it was to TYFC staff to watch over 200 children open presents and celebrate the season.

The night included a catered dinner for all, Christmas crafts, Carol singing, Elfs named Gumdrop and Sprinkles, and present time!!! Below are some pictures of our favorite Elves!

We would like to thank the below sponsors for helping to make this night a success!!

Trinity Church

The Roby Family & Harbor Covenant Church

Life Christian School

The Allpress Family & Abundant Life Foursquare

The Carver Family & Spirit and Truth Foursquare

The Hollstrom Family
The Schulhauser Family

And other who chose to remain anonymous.

Last year Jeff Clare received a call from Olympian Gold Medalist Stephanie Cox.  She called asking Jeff if it would be possible for her to bless some of our teenagers.  Jeff said it took ten minutes for Stephanie to actually say that she was an Olympian.  She explained to him that she her parents were foster parents while she was growing up and she was raised with many different foster siblings.  She told Jeff that she was sponsored by Nike and wanted to give some our kids the opportunity to have a shopping spree at Nike Town. Last year I was able to pick 5 teenage girls to go and they had a blast shopping at Nike Town.

This year I was given the same opportunity to pick 6 new teenagers to go with us.  We took three boys and three girls and they were given $150 to spend at Nike Town.  As we walked through the streets of Seattle they got really quiet but you could see they were excited and nervous at the same time.  We met Stephanie Cox in the lobby of Nike Town and she explained to them who she was and that her whole purpose of this was to bless them!  Then we let the kids go wild, they girls were eager to spend their money and the boys browsed for a while. But finally each kid easily spent $150 on shoes, boots, sweatshirts and shorts.

As I was watching all of the kids shop, one of the sales men asked me what we were doing there.  One of my foster girls said “we are foster kids and Stephanie is blessing us”.  He got all choked up and was a little teary eyed, he said that is really amazing, what a great Christmas present for these kids!!!

The best part of the night for me was watching the kids look at and hold Stephanie’s Olympic Gold Medal.  I was so surprised by their reverence to the medal and the awe that they showed.  The kids slowly passed the medal around and each had a chance to hold it.

In the car ride home the kids were very quiet and tired from a long day of shopping but it was great watching them show their foster parents everything they got.

by Anna.

It will cost you something!  He did it for you, will you do it for them? 

This phrase was the last sentence written in a letter created by Jennifer Appleby that she gave to me and her pastor.  It was a 5 page typed letter pouring out her heart for her passion…foster children.

Jennifer first felt called to fostercare while in high school after working at a Boy’s Ranch on a mission trip.  Through the years this calling continued.  After marrying her husband Steve, their long trips to Eastern Washington were filled with conversations about this calling.  Finally, after talking with their pastor the advice came, “Why don’t you start with one and see how it goes”.   If only everyone received that advice!

Since that time Steve and Jennifer have taken 29 foster children into their home.  Not every child has been the most pleasant experience…and even Jennifer would say that it hasn’t been easy.  In fact, she would say that it’s been very challenging.  She would also say that taking in foster children has been the most rewarding ministry she’s ever been a part of!

We are so proud to have families like Steve and Jennifer Appleby.  They have exemplified our vision here at YFC.  They have reached out and supported the birth families of the children they’ve cared for….even, at times, at a monetary expense. 

They also have a message!  Even if you can’t have a foster child in your home….there’s plenty of other ways to get involved.  As if Steve and Jennifer don’t have enough to do already….they just helped build a clothing bank at their church to support foster children and foster families licensed through YFC.  Foster Exchange is located at Puget Sound Christian Center and is designed to help provide clothing and other resources to foster children.  If you have items to share please contact Jennifer at fosterexchange@gmail.com. 

You will be blessed to give……it will cost you something…..He did it for you…will you do it for them?

This last week the YFC foster care staff was fortunate enough to attend that YFC Pacific Northwest Regional Conference in Cannon Beach.  We had the opportunity to spend three days on the beach and being re-energized by National YFC staff members.  A focus of the retreat was the calling that we feel to the youth in our community. I feel completely blessed to work with a staff that doesn’t work here for a paycheck or because they need a job, we work here because we have been called by God to work with the youth in our community.

We were challenged by Brian Muchmore, Seattle YFC Executive Director to work for the impossible with a God that is in the impossibility business!  I love that statement and it is what I keep telling myself as challenges come that I think are impossible.

Below are a few highlights from the 5 case managers!

YFC Case Managers – Charisa, Sarah, Anna, Ciara and Katie.

YFC Motto “Anchored to the Rock, Geared to the Times”.

YFC Case Manager Ciara, Katie, Sarah and Charisa.

Coming into foster care at age 13, loosing everything that is familiar, all family and friends and any cultural ties, is devastating to a teenage girl.  Sara moved into one of our foster home over 4 years ago, at the beginning of 9^th grade.  She was very quiet, withdrawn and shy.  Through many hours spent talking with Sara I got to know her pretty, she is smart, funny, sarcastic and very thoughtful.  She has found a home at YFC and considers her foster parents as real parents.

Sara didn’t care that she was going to be a fifth year senior in high school or that she had failed a number of classes each year.  Failure was easier to handle than hoping and wishing for good in her life.  Sara never tried to set her sights high about her future, she was hopeless.  Along came her social worker that wasn’t willing to let this smart, bright, young girl fall through the cracks of foster care.  She met with her every month always asking the right question and staying on top of Sara’s education and goals.  Her worker pushed her to take running start exams and look into some college programs.  Sara has always thought about going into the cosmetology program but did not think it could or would ever happen.  Sara passed the running start exams and was enrolled in running start and the cosmetology program at Clover Park.

A few weeks ago we spent the day walking around learning the campus, going to the bookstore, and getting her parking pass, on the way to our celebratory lunch Sara said quietly, “I never thought I’d go to college”. I told her I knew she would, that she is a smart girl and has a bright future a head of her.  The foster mom has noted that Sara is now walking around the house with her shoulder back in confidence saying “I’m a college student, school is going to be hard but I’m a college student.”  We have seen a dramatic change in this teen, what can a little push in the right direction do for other kids?

Sara knows the road is not going to be easy and that she has a lot of work to do but she is excited about what her future holds!!

by Anna Benson

    Do you remember your prayers as a four year old?  Most likely you weren’t praying for a safe place for your homeless Mommy…but that’s exactly what Grace, a child in our YFC Foster Care program, prays for every night. Grace’s mom is living on the streets and simply couldn’t care for her child anymore. Grace’s YFC foster mom shared how this four-year-old was concerned that her mommy didn’t have a place to live or food to eat, so the foster mom and the little girl committed to pray daily for the mother to find safety. 

    As I was visiting Grace at her foster home the other day she excitedly told me, “Jesus answered my prayers! My mommy now has a home to live in and food to eat!”  What amazing faith children have!  Grace has learned that her prayers make a difference, and because of the love instilled through her foster family, she is sharing this blessing with others. Grace is soon to be a permanent part of this family because her foster parents have decided to adopt her…she is so excited to have a “forever family”!

    Have you ever wondered about the impact of your prayers and support? Have you taken the time to ponder how your actions, big and small, are impacting those around you? This is just one example of how God has been using the ministry of YFC to impact children in foster care.

Charisa Nicholas

Prison visits.  Long drives.  Tense conversations.  Doctor Visits.  Much rejoicing.   I had the privilege of walking alongside a family for 2 years, as the bio mom fought hard and long to get her kids back.  Though each one was unsure of the other in the beginning, they began to form a friendship and create a unique bond between their families. 

Their journey began a little rocky.  Each held tightly to the children; both wanting what was best for them.  Over time, they began to know each other, hear each other’s story, and enjoy each other’s company.  Restoration began to take place in the birth mom, as she was reunited with her family and given a new family through her children’s foster family. 

 After many visits and court appearances, we were at our final hearing before the kids would be going home for good.  Birth mom and foster mom sat side by side at the table with the children in their laps.  Birth mom cried as she spoke of her 2 year journey, with the help of her new friend, the foster mom.  Those in the court room were wiping away tears as they heard this story of redemption.   The judge stood up and applauded both of the moms and their journey.    Rejoice in God’s redemption and restoration!!!

Katie Bass