By: Jill Rippy Full disclosure: Tonight I’m triggered. This tends to happen for us kids who have been through childhood trauma. Out of nowhere, we can find ourselves triggered by something that doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense. But, it can...
By Jill Rippy The system is broken because humans manage it; don’t use this as an excuse to quit. You knew it was broken way before its attempt to break you. Your calling doesn’t end just because it gets too hard. Being a team player is...
By Jill Rippy Teens tend to be the most feared population of foster children. Without a doubt, the majority of the calls and messages I receive from potential foster parents are from those wishing to foster ages 0 to 5. When I ask why they prefer...
Guest Author: Sarah Michaels I don’t think I could ever accurately find the words to sum up this picture. It’s pure joy and complete pain all in one. This is my beautiful foster daughter. And let’s be real, when you agree to take in a 17 year old...
To have a large family means living a frugal life. For our family, we live frugally throughout the year, which allows us to have a more than satisfying Christmas season and to vacation once or twice a year. One of my foster favorites is...
Scary, emotional, unpredictable, scheming, hormone driven, false accusation making, window jumping runaways…who could I possibly be referring to? Teenage girls in foster care? These frightening beasts are without a doubt, the most feared...
Disclaimer: The following information is based on Indiana DCS policy and my personal experiences…but don’t let that stop you. Read on, because if you have even a twinge of curiosity, this may answer a lot of questions. So, you are...
Many years ago I sat on the deck of a beach house with my step-brother. We were enjoying an adult beverage, watching the sunset and catching up. This brother is the quiet one, so having a deep conversation was never really our norm...
Don’t pity my foster children. They don’t need it. Oh, yes, there was a time when I pitied them, but that was short lived. I realized in a quick hurry that there is no time for pity here. Dive into the life of a quality foster...
If you want to evoke the passion of a quality foster parent, please spew the phrase, “Foster parents are only in it for the money.” This short phrase will no doubt be reciprocated with a smile, a deep breath and silence as they work to...