Every day, thousands of children and teens enter foster care — not because they’ve done something wrong, but because the adults in their lives couldn’t keep them safe. In a world full of noise and information, what they need most isn’t advice — it’s connection.
Today we live in a world where we believe we can “figure everything out ourselves” online.
Google it.
Ask ChatGPT.
Find the right TED Talk.
Read another list of tips on Instagram.
It feels like if we just gather enough information — things will change.
But one of the most important truths in foster care is this:
Information doesn’t create transformation. Relationship does.
We can learn about trauma.
We can memorize the neurobiology of attachment.
We can watch videos about healing and resilience.
But those things alone do not rebuild trust.
What changes a child’s internal world is not reading about connection —
it’s being in connection.
And that’s what our foster parents do every single day.
They sit with fear without fixing.
They stay present inside moments that would be easier to avoid.
They offer calm when a teen is overwhelmed.
They model safety when safety hasn’t been earned yet.
Healing isn’t a “tip.”
It’s a human.
Technology will keep changing the way we communicate and learn — but it will never replace what heals us most: real human connection.
AI can generate content — but it can’t generate belonging.
The world will keep advancing in technology.
But what youth in foster care need most is not smarter algorithms —
it’s safe adults who don’t disappear.
At Koinonia, that’s the difference we invest in.
Not more content.
More connection.
More co-regulation.
More relationship that says:
You matter. You’re worth staying for. You are not alone.
That’s the work that truly heals.
If you’ve ever thought about fostering, mentoring, or simply showing up for a young person — this is your reminder that what you bring to the table isn’t information. It’s presence.
Learn how to get involved with Koinonia: kfh.org
Because every child deserves more than information — they deserve someone who stays.
Kaitlin Earnest, Contributor