Support is Everyone's Job

We often talk about the need to recruit and license more foster homes in Medina County, but recruitment is only part of the picture. We also have to talk about what happens after a family opens their home.

Foster care can be incredibly rewarding, but it can also be hard. Nationally, many foster homes close within the first year, and lack of support is often one of the reasons. At MCJFS, we believe that supporting foster families isn’t just something we should do—it’s something we have to do. These families are caring for some of our county’s most vulnerable children, and they deserve to know that they aren’t doing it alone.

That’s where Support is Everyone’s Job came in.

We recently introduced this campaign with a simple idea: every person in our agency has a role to play in supporting foster families. Whether someone works directly with children and families or behind the scenes, the way we communicate, respond, listen, and show up can make a difference to a foster parent.

But support goes both ways. Foster parents are an important part of a child’s team, and they also have an important role in supporting the staff who work alongside them. We wanted this campaign to create space for both sides to better understand one another.

To begin, a group of staff met regularly to brainstorm and develop role cards for each department, identifying specific ways staff can provide practical, ongoing support to foster caregivers. In June, we brought staff together for a campaign kickoff where they learned more about why people choose to foster, why foster parents sometimes make the difficult decision to close their homes, and the challenges that come with being a foster caregiver. The highlight of the day was a panel of foster parents who openly shared their personal experiences.

Earlier this month, we turned the conversation around and invited our foster parents to learn more about the people on the other side of the partnership. We talked about why people choose to work in child welfare, why they sometimes leave, and the challenges that come with this work. Once again, the highlight was a panel—this time, staff members sharing their personal “why” and some of the challenges they face each day.

We ended the evening with a fun and eye-opening activity called A Day in the Life of a Caseworker. Foster parents worked in groups to prioritize a list of tasks totaling 15–20 hours into an eight-hour workday. It was a simple activity, but it offered a glimpse into the many competing demands caseworkers navigate and the reality that there is rarely enough time in a day to accomplish everything.

More than anything, we hope Support is Everyone’s Job has reminded our staff and foster parents that we are on the same team. We may have different roles, different responsibilities, and different perspectives, but we share the same goal: doing everything we can to help children and families.

When we take the time to understand one another, communicate openly, and offer support, we create a stronger team around every child.

And that’s what Support is Everyone’s Job is really about—not just a campaign, but a culture. A culture where foster parents feel supported, staff feel supported, and everyone knows that they have a part to play in helping children find safety, stability, and hope.