Another part of our purpose is to ease the transition for foster families and make their “yes” less of a burden.  When a call for placement comes in the middle of the night, few foster parents are prepared to give baths and do bedtime with a scared set of siblings who are coming with no clothes, car seats, or possessions of any kind.  It’s hard to say yes! 

Isaiah 117 House can provide the placement a bed, car seat, formula, diapers, or dinner.  While the call may still come in the middle of the night, “the ask” is to say yes to a sibling set who spent the day at Isaiah 117 House.  They took baths, have full bellies and duffle bags of their own new clothes for the next several days.  They have everything they need to go to school the next morning.  We want them to focus on welcoming the children and helping them settle into their new home instead of having to rush around to stores to buy everything the children need.  This is crucial in reducing trauma as the children feel less of a burden or interruption to their new home. 

Easing the transition into placement not only changes the way foster care begins, but it can increase the number of foster families in the community.