Foster Care FAQ

Foster care has been such an amazing, humbling experience and we’ve only been in it five months. These five months I’ve learned more about myself than I ever thought and I’ve gained the cutest kid that I’m totally obsessed with! Throughout our experience I have chosen to be as open as I can be to bring awareness to the need of foster parents. I asked on social media a few weeks ago what questions people had about foster care and decided to make a blog post answer as much as I could!

***I will pre-face that some of these answer will vary on the state you live in. Each state has different legal requirements or procedures with the foster care system. These answers are based on the state of Idaho.

How long does it take before a child becomes available for adoption?
Probably the most asked question! This depends entirely on each case and Termination of Parental Rights (TPR) must happen in order for a child to be available to adopt. In Idaho, they are blunt and very thorough if parents aren’t making even baby steps in the case plan, it’s time to find other solutions and permanency for the children. There are case that a house is unsafe for children so parents just need to clean or fix their home which could only take a few days or weeks. Other cases many involve drugs which require a sober period of time. There are so many different cases such as abuse, neglect, drugs, illness, incarcerations, or death of a parent. It’s not always that parents have made mistakes. Sometimes they just need someone’s help and they don’t have a support system so the foster care system is what they have to rely on.

Why can’t you say his real name? Does your family get to know his real name?
For privacy reasons, we can’t say his real name on social media which is why we gave him the nickname “Smalls”. We’ve had a few people ask if we got to name him since we got him straight from the hospital and we did not. Anyone who meets Smalls in person knows his name. Foster kids still have regular lives going to school, church, sports, etc where everyone knows who the kids are. While I wouldn’t be as vocal with older kids, I’ve decided to be vocal with Smalls to bring awareness to the need for foster parents. I would not be posting photos or showing as much of our lives with him to keep his life more private since he would have his own life to live and continue and I would never want to embarrass a child.

Is adoption free if you’ve fostered the child or if a child is in foster care?
Adoption out of foster care is usually free or very inexpensive, (under $1,000 compared to the $30,000 for private adoption). The foster care system is very open about the realities of foster care which mean majority of the time (over 70%) kids are reunited with their biological parents or other family steps in. Because adoption isn’t as common, they are blunt in foster care classes that adoption shouldn't be the goal.
I will add my two cents on this, since most kids don’t have a voice, I will always speak up for our kids and advocate for what’s best for each of them which may not always be biological family. That’s a huge reason I got into foster care to start with was to advocate for kids.

What is the process for getting a child? Can you say no?
After you’re licensed, you’re put on essentially a call list. Once a child comes into the foster care system they check the requirements, (ages, gender, behavior issues, etc.) and call those who fit in the criteria. We received two calls prior to Smalls that we didn’t feel would be the best fit for our family so we said no. You can always say no if you don’t feel you have the resources needed, or even if you just don’t think an age or gender would fit your family dynamics.

How do I get started if I want to be a foster parent or just want more information?
If you are in Idaho, I recommend an information meeting! Here’s a page with info about becoming a foster parent. Information meetings for Idaho can be found here. Feel free to email me or message me if you have ANY questions! I love talking about foster care!

How long does it take to become licensed?
We were licensed within 4 months! We tried to get our license as quickly as possible because we felt very prompted to do it right away. Jake’s schedule allowed us to do the fast track classes which helped us get licensed quickly.

Feel free to message me if you ever are curious about fostering or just have a few questions about it! I sincerely love talking about foster care!

With Grateful Hearts • Thanksgiving Wrap Up

Christmas was my favorite holiday growing up. But since going to college I reconsidered and it has changed to Thanksgiving. Family is a high priority to me and since thanksgiving is all about family and being grateful, it aligns perfectly with what I love. And with time away from my business, I was able to contemplate about the things I am so grateful for. Along with family, my faith, and my husband, here are just a few things that have really stuck out to me this year.

Laughter. I'm thankful God gave us the ability to laugh. And I love hanging out with people who have that contagious laugh that gets me laughing for no reason, which happens to be quite a few of my Bride's. Whether it's playing a hilarious game with family, or laughing at myself for my dorky mistakes, laughter makes everything that much better.

Hard Work. It used to be something I dreaded. But now I can appreciate it. After 8 summers of hard labor and construction work, I can finally say I worked my way to have my dream job and it was the farthest from easy. Truth be told, I still have to go home and work a few weeks of construction out of the year because my job doesn't actually pay all of the bills. But because of my hard work, I can appreciate the things I've worked for.

My Clients. I sincerely appreciate my sweet bride's, seniors, and families for trusting me with their important memories. One of my favorite things about my job isn't actually shooting, editing, or blogging, but the friendships that form with my clients. When I say I have the best clients, it's honestly an understatement. I couldn't do this without them! 

A Colorado Thanksgiving

On Wednesday after catching up with Cafe Rio, we did our family photos on The Monument. Kaden and Keely's Proposal was done here and I knew it'd be the perfect spot for updated family photos while we were all together again. Then we hung out at Grandma's and caught up with everyone who arrived. 

How hilarious is this?! My brother Jacob put on Jodi's floral crown and she mentioned he looked like Sid off of Ice Age. We busted up laughing and once I pulled up an image of Sid to compare later on, there was no stopping it. But seriously, take another glance.  

One thing that's awesome about Colorado is that there's always something eventful and adventurous to do. Thursday morning started with Get Air. I loved being able to literally jump everywhere, and the dodge ball torment following was pretty epic as well. 

Thanksgiving day was my favorite day of the trip because of the atmosphere. The Case's love full heartedly and you can feel it the entire time you are there. Everyone is uplifting and sincerely happy and interested in you. As we went around the table saying what we were grateful for, I realized I have the best family I could ask for. I strive to be more like this amazing family I am surrounded with. We also played Watch Ya' Mouth and I highly recommend it if you want to pee yourself from laughing. 

Darcy hosted a baby shower for Jodi Friday morning. Then that night we had a "Feast" with food and the scriptures. And life sized Hungry, Hungry Hippo may have happened as well. 

Before ending the night, Jenni said we each had to tell an extremely embarrassing moment. The stories were ridiculously funny and everyone was tearing up from laughing so hard! Ending our trip on laughter was amazing and has Jake and I looking forward to future Thanksgivings in Colorado. 

23 Things You Probably Don't Know About Me

This weekend I turn 23 and it's kind of blowing my mind. Especially since I can't break out in T-Swift. But since I'm going to be 23 here's 23 facts about me, and most of them have nothing to do with photography!

1. I love movies that connect in every way possible and completely blow my mind. A few of my favorites include Inception, Source Code, Selfless, and the Divergent Series.

2. My living room is always the cleanest room in my house. My bedroom is the messiest.

3. Moving to Idaho was a major adjustment for me and I was actually scared of being home alone all day. That's when Jacob said I could get a cat. Simba is my business partner who mostly sleeps on the job, but he can stand, high five, and shake. Here's a video if you want to see him in action. 

4. When I was 7 I was in gymnastics and loved every minute of it. 

5. I'm cold blooded and still wear sweatshirts throughout the summer.

6. If I need to vent, I call my mom and sister. If I need a good laugh I call my brother. And if I need expert life advice I call my dad.

7. Just about every weekend of the summer you could find our family camping up at Fox Park. Some of my favorite childhood memories are from those weekends spent away from the real world.

8. Mornings are not really my thing, but 9:00pm to 1:00am I can accomplish anything!

9. When I was 12 my parents sold their old house we got a "happy day" and I chose a camera. My dad bought my the Canon XTi with a zoom lens. I've been in love with photography ever since.

10. I moved schools my Freshman Year and without knowing anyone I tried out for the Cheer Team and actually got on. 

11. I definitely have a sweet tooth and would eat desert for every meal if I could.

12. My sense of direction is absolutely horrible and I'm so thankful for modern day technology that allows me to have Maps anywhere I go.

13. I'm an introvert which may sound crazy being a photographer. Slowly I am being more interested in parties as long as there's someone to talk business or photography with. 

14. One thing I wish I was better at is dancing. I have zero talent when it comes to tempo and steps so hopefully this year I do something about that.

15. Dying my hair is an addiction of mine! Since becoming a professional photographer I try my best to hold back from dramatic changes so clients can recognize me, but I'm feeling a change coming on...

16. I will do anything to avoid taking medicine of any kind along with the fact that I dread doctors.

17. Jacob, my husband, is the reason I went full-time in my photography business. The first month in Idaho he would not let me get a job until I had tried my photography business full-time. Here we are almost a year later and I have Jacob to thank for that!!

18. I am extremely sensitive and soft hearted. When I was 3 years old my sister was getting her shots and I cried outside the doctors door. Your pain is my pain.

19. For some reason I can't justify spending any amount of money on myself, but I will buy anything for my husband and cat.

20. Originally I was Business major when I decided to stop at my Associates Degree. Marketing still really interests me so I hope I can work a marketing job one day in a big company.

21. I believe everything happens for a reason, whether I understand it or not.

22. My ears aren't pierced and they never have been.

23. I love every single one of my clients and I am so excited for what's in store with JayCee Photography for the next year!