Koinonia News
News About Fostering & Adopting
How to Support Your Foster Child During the Holidays
The holiday season is typically a time we look forward to, associated with positive memories, fun traditions, spending time with family, and spreading good cheer. However, for foster children who have been removed from their families due to abuse or neglect, the...
A Profound Moment: The Wisdom of a Foster Child
Yesterday, I met an old soul living in the body of a ten-year-old boy. We were working on an in-home assessment together, and I got to the question, "What is the best thing about this family so far?" Without prompting or prodding, he tells me: Food. They feed me and I...
The Journey to a Forever Family
It was 2017 when I first met Hannah and her younger siblings, Aiden and Isabella. As the eldest, 11-year-old Hannah had taken on the role of leader and protector. Aiden (6) and Bella (3) were timid and shy, watching Hannah’s every move to see how they should proceed....
What Is Intensive Services Foster Care (ISFC)?
If you have looked into fostering at all, you have may have heard the term ISFC, or “intensive services foster care.” So, what exactly does that mean? Intensive services foster care is a level of care. Foster youth who are considered ISFC have a higher level of need...
Why Family Reunification & Preservation Always Comes First
In our society, there can be misconceptions about why children end up in foster care, and therefore a hesitancy towards reunification. While there are certainly cases of abuse and severe neglect, there is usually a more complex reason a child enters the foster care...
Why LGBTQ+ Foster Youth Need Our Help
Central to the idea of foster care is looking out for the children in our community, defending those who cannot defend themselves, and providing a safe space for youth who have nowhere else to go. Sadly, when it comes to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and...
Koinonia’s 7th Annual Golf Tournament Benefits Local Foster Youth
May 7th was not just a beautiful day for golf; it was also a perfect day for members of the Placer County community to join together in support of local foster youth. Koinonia's 7th Annual Golf Tournament had been cancelled last year due to the worldwide pandemic that...
The Freedom to Be a Kid
As a youth counselor at Koinonia's Homes for Teens program, I have the unique opportunity to see transformation take place before my eyes. One of our foster teens, Dominic*, exemplifies the type of transformation that is possible. Dominic came to Koinonia’s Homes for...
Make A Strength List For Your Kids
The first time I wrote a strength list for my son, it was actually from a place of frustration. I was focused on how stubborn he can be, constantly touching things, and perpetually full of energy! I sat down real quick, wrote his name in the middle of a blank piece of...
Interview With A Single Foster/Adoptive Parent
Many people wonder, “Do I have to be married to foster or adopt?” The answer is no. Some of our resource parents are married, some are in domestic partnerships, and others are single. We recently shared Samantha’s adoption story as a single mom and teacher. She was...