Featured Family Highlights
Jeff and Rhonda Q&A
Jeff and Rhonda have been married since 2010 and together have 6 boys. We currently live in Brookville, PA. Jeff is a retired Pennsylvania State Police Trooper and currently works at Western PA Cares for Kids. Rhonda is a homemaker. We attend the Egypt Free Methodist Church. Our favorite vacation spot is Pigeon Forge, TN.
We chose to foster as our way to honor our belief that we should choose to help those in need. We love children and could think of no greater investment than the lives of future generations.
Meeting like-minded people, growing in our faith, and the smiles a child shares with us.
It is important to understand that sometimes, we are not the best home or situation for every child. Children come with different needs, experiences and lifestyles. Do not be afraid to share when it isn’t working out. There is always a family that can.
LifeSpan was the first agency we reached out to when we were inquiring about fostering. Everyone was and continues to be helpful, understanding, and knowledgeable. We trust them completely.
In total, about 3 ½ years now.
Matthew and Kaile Q&A
My family is my power that keeps growing. We have one biological child and five adopted children, but they are all ours! My family is the most important thing in the world to me.
To give children a stable family environment, there are so many children who need somewhere safe to stay and someone to believe in them! We felt we had more love to give.
The difference we have made in a child’s life, the opportunity to help shape a young life, to watch them learn and grow, and those amazing smiles.
I am proud of your family. You are doing something amazing. Have a strong sense of self and have a strong support system. Teamwork is everything.
They are local, so we could keep foster kids local. They are amazing people.
We started fostering in 2014. We closed our home in 2018 after thinking our family was full with six amazing kids. We felt the pull to open back up in 2022 to help give a child a stable home.
Rachel & Michael Q & A
We are a family of 4 (Mike, Rachel, Alex (7), and Reagan (5)). We love all things homemade and homegrown. We have a passion for homesteading and homeschooling. Our family values revolve around our faith and being intentional as a family. We love game nights, exploring outside, and having dinner around the table as a family. We try our best to keep life fun, simple, and meaningful.
Our decision to foster began as a nudge from God. We knew the need for good foster parents was great, so after many prayers and family talks, we decided to say YES!
Our favorite part of fostering has been watching our foster daughter thrive in a safe and loving home. We get to stand in the gap for a child in need, which is priceless.
I would say to release your expectations and trust the process. The first month is the hardest, but after the initial changes, it gets much easier.
We were connected to a LifeSpan worker through a mutual friend and immediately knew it was the right fit. She was authentic, honest, and compassionate, and we knew we wanted to be on her team.
4 months.
Mary & Russell Q & A
We are a family of 4 (Russel, Maria, Gunner (11), and Phoenix (3). We currently also have our son’s biological sister as a kinship placement. We adopted the youngest and have SPLC of the oldest. We love them as our own! We also have two dogs, Lucy and Taco, that love all the people and kids that come through our doors. I couldn’t imagine life without them, and we hope to adopt more in the future.
After years of infertility and being unable to have children of our own, we decided our best route was adoption through foster care. We also wanted to provide a safe home for kids in need until they could go home. Those who could not go home, we wanted to welcome them permanently into our home.
Because of Kinship care, we love that our son and foster daughter get to grow up together and we get to watch them develop bonds. We also love being able to give our foster kids a safe place to watch them grow and thrive.
Have patience. Sometimes it will take awhile to happen, then when you lease expect it, you will get the call. The first month can be easy and the honeymoon stage or it can be hard as the child adjusts. Just have patience. These kids are worth it.
We saw the advertisement for the agency. After meeting the worker, we knew it was the right fit for our family. They are always there for us when we need anything.
5 years.
Don’t be afraid to reach out to the workers. They are great and always willing to help. It has been so helpful to know the other LifeSpan families to share experiences or see how they handle something. Having someone who can relate to what you are going through has been so helpful. I would recommend everyone to reach out and connect with other families.
Sara & Allen Q&A
Allen and Sarah got married in 2019. We met at a Christian college. We moved to this area 2 years ago to pastor a church. We have a cat and 2 birds. We love the outdoors.
We decided to foster because we have not been able to have any children of our own yet. So, we decided to foster and hopefully adopt someday.
On of our favorite things is how helpful everyone has been with explaining stuff. LifeSpan is a great agency, and we would recommend them to anyone – and of course the great foster kids.
Love any child you get into your home with your whole heart. You don’t always know what the child has been through, and they need love.
LifeSpan was the first foster agency that came up online, so we decided to call. We looked at the website and really liked what we saw about LifeSpan.
This month marks a year that we have been licensed.
Fostering is very up and down emotionally, but also very rewarding.