Mission
Fosterful is a nonprofit organization that provides trauma-informed support for children and caregivers experiencing foster care through holistic and customized care plans. Whether assisting during everyday moments or on-call at child welfare offices, we maintain a consistent and caring presence in the lives of foster families through vital resources, enrichment opportunities, on-the-ground support, and personalized case management.
Vision
Fosterful's vision is that every child in foster care may experience permanency and belonging through tangible resources and meaningful connection with their community.
Values
- Respect and Inclusivity: We believe there’s power in every voice, regardless of their role or relationship, and are committed to fostering a culture where mutual respect and inclusiveness are paramount.
- Collaboration: Teamwork is our cornerstone. We make decisions together and unite behind shared goals.
- Customer Service: We prioritize our clients and donors, delivering exceptional consistent, empathetic service.
- Integrity and Transparency: We build trust through ethical behavior and clear communication in all interactions.
These principles guide our actions and shape the culture of our organization daily.
History
In 2013, co-founder Sarah Desjarlais was a foster parent attending a meeting at the child welfare office in Vancouver, Washington. During that meeting, she saw a little boy sitting alone in a conference room – his meal and toys sitting untouched. He was alone in every sense of the word. His social worker sat across the hall, feverishly working the phone, trying to find a place he could call home. It occurred to her how hard it must be to do everything required of a social worker - and give a child who has just endured trauma the attention and comfort they need. A conversation with CPS supervisor Kim Karu followed, and the two women founded what was then known as Office Moms & Dads - using a mother's intuition and a social worker's know-how.
As child welfare offices remained shuttered throughout the pandemic and intake numbers decreased, our volunteers rallied to support local foster care communities. They provided meals, remote learning supplies, boxes of new clothing, Holiday gifts, and more to kids in care and their families. Funders stepped up, and we got busy training more volunteers to answer the tidal wave of needs that would come.
In 2020, we joined the national conversation about systemic racism because children of color have been, and continue to be, overrepresented in foster care. As we met with tribal leaders and members of Black and Hispanic community groups to hear their thoughts on becoming a more inclusive organization, a common topic of conversation was the title we had given ourselves as Office "Moms and Dads." For many children, the title of ‘Mom’ or ‘Dad’ is reserved for two people alone. It doesn’t matter what they did - kids will always love their parents on some level. We had to honor that family culture. We had to change our name.
We believe 'Fosterful' highlights that we have become more than caring companions. Through trauma-informed care practices, we provide nurturing environments and basic necessities to kids entering foster care. While those things will always be the heartbeat of what we do, we now have room to grow into a MOVEMENT for changing the System from the inside out.
What started with five volunteers in one child welfare office has grown to nearly 400 volunteers (and counting) across Washington.
What
Fosterful is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization founded in Vancouver, Washington (USA) in 2013. Fosterful deploys qualified volunteers throughout Washington who sit with and entertain children who are experiencing foster care - often, children who have undergone unspeakable trauma. Our volunteers serve in their local child welfare office on an on-call basis, as well as within foster homes as assigned, and strive to make the day a little bit better for children, caregivers, and social workers.
Why
Children experiencing the foster care system are often caught in limbo - whether it’s waiting at the child welfare office for a long-term placement or being shuffled around from caregiver to caregiver. This space of unknowing can be one of the most frightening and uncertain times in a child’s life. Having a person during this time can help ease the trauma these kiddos experience. Our volunteers help alleviate stress on Social Workers and Caregivers, caring for the child’s immediate needs and tangibly serving the foster care community.
Conozca la junta directiva
Dawn Redmond
Presidente de la Junta Directiva
Zach Desjarlais
Vicepresidente de la Junta
Tracy Woods
Secretario del Consejo
Kamron Miller
Tesorero de la Junta
Dara Alexander
Miembro del Consejo de Administración
Mike Lee
Miembro del Consejo de Administración
Hart Green
Miembro del Consejo de Administración
Conoce al equipo
Sarah Desjarlais
Director Ejecutivo
Sarah Copes
VP of People and Projects
Lindsay Morgan
Program Engagement Officer
Cyndi Lea
Especialista administrativo
Glenn Durden
Adquisición de donaciones
Samantha Forrester
Caregiver Support Program Manager
Ashley Holsten
Behavioral Case Aide (Sidekick)
Jenny Grigsby
Marketing Wizard
Danielle McCauley
Supervisor for the Caregiver Support Project
Kelli Anderson
Supervisor for the Caregiver Support Project
Gary Ploski
VP of Outreach and Impact
Principales patrocinadores
Fosterful se financia gracias a la filantropía. Dependemos del generoso apoyo de personas, empresas y fundaciones benéficas de las comunidades a las que servimos. Un agradecimiento especial a estas fundaciones que han hecho contribuciones significativas hacia la sostenibilidad de Fosterful, y a estos patrocinadores presentadores de nuestros principales eventos de recaudación de fondos.