Yes, You Can Foster Too
We rent our home.
I don't live in Wayne County.
I am divorced.
We have
full-time jobs.
I am single.
We home school our children.
We have two dogs.
We have a lot of questions.
We are retired.
I am scared to say yes.
We have four bio children.
Our kids go to daycare.
Many questions come up when you consider becoming a foster parent. We understand that. We realize that the decision to foster is big. Our team of professionals provides the support and resources needed to make the process of becoming a foster parent as easy and seamless as possible. We are committed to working with you to ensure that you and your foster child receive the support you need to succeed. If you are interested in fostering or simply have questions, give us a call at 330.462.1118 or fill out the inquiry form and we will be in touch!
Below you can read testimonials, view stories of life change and learn from our seasoned foster parents. You can also read our blog and learn some of our foster parent's "whys" as they share their hearts. Encourage is truly a family as we walk alongside each other through the fostering journey.
"It has been great to work with a private agency. Encourage acts as a liaison between the county and the family. They have been a support system and become like family and have been there when we adopted our children and when we said goodbye. We can just call them like we would call anyone to walk through the good and hard times. They have been a great support system."
Elijah & Amanda Beery
Encourage Foster Parents, Wayne County
We are so thankful for Encourage and all they have done to support us as foster parents. Everyone has been so kind and willing to answer all of our many questions. We feel very appreciated by all of the events they put on to support us.
Kyle & Shannon Blough
Encourage Foster Parents, Medina County
"Honestly, we’re telling anyone that will listen to get licensed through Encourage! We LOVE, love, love that it’s a Christian agency and God is in the center of everything. Every single person we’ve encountered at Encourage has been over the top helpful and the absolute sweetest. It makes it feel like we’ve got a whole group of people/family cheering us on and being right there beside us on this journey."
Brandon & Brenda Troyer
Encourage Foster Parents, Holmes County
"I would absolutely, positively say the support and service provided by the Encourage coordinators goes above and beyond. We could not be the foster parents we are without the constant support, contact and advocacy of the whole Encourage system."
Marcus & Joannie Rouston
Encourage Foster Parents, Wayne County
Julie and Ron Kandel have built a legacy of selflessness and unconditional love while welcoming 15 foster and adoptive children from three different sibling groups into their home since 1991.
Julie shares, "Ive had a lot of people come up to me and they're like I don't know how you do it. I could never be a foster parents because I could never give them up. I would be so attached to them...I say, they're children. They need a safe place today. As an adult you need to be able to love them with all of your heart while they're in your home. And then be willing to give them up. It may be the hardest thing you do but that's what they need.
Alexia shares, "We wanted to foster to share our love of Jesus with children in our care as well as what it's like to have a loving environment. It's important to remember that fostering doesn't have to be a last resort. It can be a first choice like it was for my husband and I.
It's really cool that Encourage equips you to be able to have great relationships with bio families. They equip you and teach you how to reach out to bio families and how to maintain a positive relationship with them so you can hopefully maintain connection with them and the child if the child gets reunited."
At Encourage, we know that becoming a foster parent can be both exciting and intimidating, which is why we offer faith-based foster care services and support every step of the way. From the initial application process to ongoing support after a child is placed in your home, we're here to help you navigate this rewarding journey. Our goal is to provide a safe and nurturing environment for each child in our care, while also offering our foster families the resources they need to thrive. If you're interested in becoming a foster parent, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at 330.462.1118 or learn the next steps to join the Encourage family.
