What happens when a family's simple "yes" to foster care launches an unexpected lifelong journey? Kristin Orphan joins us to share the remarkable story behind Finally Home, an organization born from her family's personal experiences as foster, adoptive, and kinship parents.

Kristin takes us back to 2008, when she and her husband, already parents to two biological sons, found themselves becoming guardians to her husband's developmentally disabled brother. This first experience with kinship care opened their hearts to foster parenting, eventually leading to the adoption of two sisters who came into their lives—one as a 12-month-old expected to stay "just for the weekend" who is now 22 years old. Through these experiences, Kristin discovered a critical gap in support for families like hers, inspiring the creation of Finally Home.

The conversation candidly addresses the misconceptions surrounding foster care—the stereotypes about foster parents' motivations and children's behaviors—while offering a refreshing perspective on what it really means to provide stable homes for vulnerable youth. "None of us feel like heroes," Kristin reflects. "We're people who've said yes." Her honest assessment of the challenges faced by foster families reveals why support organizations like Finally Home are so vital, equipping families to stay committed even when the journey becomes difficult.

Beyond their work with families, Finally Home has expanded into mentoring programs for incarcerated youth, recognizing the statistical reality that many children from foster care later interact with the judicial system. This holistic approach aims to break cycles of instability, giving children the precious gift of knowing they don't have to move anymore—they're finally home.

Ready to support this life-changing work? Visit finallyhome.net to learn how you can help more families create healing environments where children can thrive after trauma. Whether through volunteering, donating, or simply sharing their story, you could help a child find stability they've never known before.