Raise the Future believes every young person deserves to go through life knowing they have a caring adult by their side. We connect youth in foster care with adults they can rely on and surround those connections with support, so they last a lifetime. This is the Petersons’ story.
“I always wanted to adopt,” says Jenny Peterson with a smile at her husband, Kirk. “The nudge to adopt just kept coming up, in people we would meet and things we would do. It was almost like a calling.” Four years ago, when their two boys, Jed and Quade, were 13 and 16, Jenny and Kirk decided to take the plunge to become first-time foster parents with the intention to adopt. “We were open to a sibling group of two at the most, and in children at least four years old. But then we got our first placement call, and everything changed!” Jenny recalls with a laugh.
There were three siblings in need of a home, not two, said the caseworker - two girls and a boy. Troy was four, Irene three, and baby Alli was just eight months. Would the Petersons be willing to take them? Feeling that familiar nudge, they agreed.
“We went in with no expectations or plans to adopt them at first,” they said, and quickly realized that they would need expert support. The children had experienced many challenges in their young lives and were suffering from unhealed trauma. “I was kind of drowning at first,” says Jenny, remembering their early struggles. “I remember thinking, ‘I can’t do anything right, I felt like such a failure’. Then an email from Raise the Future popped up in my inbox, so I signed up to take TBRI®. It was an answer to a prayer.”
The Petersons completed Raise the Future’s Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI®) training series – a caregiver model designed to support youth suffering from complex developmental trauma – and then were assigned an in-home coach. “In-home services with Lisa were incredible,” says Jenny. “Being able to have an expert in our home, where she could see the kids act how they really act, was invaluable in changing our patterns. Even now, I know I can send Lisa a message anytime and be like ‘Help!’, and she’ll be there to get us back on track.”
The Petersons went on to participate in various Raise the Future activities, like attending this year’s NBA All-Star game and Raise the Future’s summertime Connection Camp, which they felt was a transformative experience. There, the children bonded with Raise mentors, and Jenny and Kirk found a network of support with like-minded foster and adoptive parents.
Today the family is thriving. Rambunctious Troy, sweet-as-pie-Irene, and determined baby Alli are the apples of their big brothers’ eyes and a joy to Jenny and Kirk, who officially adopted the siblings on August 16th, 2021. This adventurous family of seven loves to camp, swim, kayak, and visit Disneyland.
Quade and Troy with Jayson Tatum at the All-Star NBA Game 2023
Working with Raise the Future “has been a gift from God,” says Jenny, and she is looking forward to a bright, healthy future for her, her husband, and their kids. “There will come a point that they’ll have to rely on each other without us, so our goal is to maintain harmony and peace in our home so that they grow up loving and supporting each other forever.”
The Petersons story is just one example of the many families touched by adoption and foster care and supported by Raise the Future. Please join us as we continue to connect youth, support families, and create hope. Make a contribution now through 12/31/2023, and your gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $100,000 thanks to the generosity of anonymous donors. Thank you for your support!