One of the households that completed a recent STARS training in Jefferson City is not what you would expect.
Kasey Heitzmann and Kristin Hemken are not necessarily the first people who would come to mind when you think about foster parents. They are young, single roommates who decided to complete this training after feeling called to help address the challenges and trauma some children face.
“Our individual and collective experiences led us to consider what our roles might be,” Kristin and Kasey said. “This led us to the world of foster care.”
After being drawn to fostering, Kasey and Kristin had to navigate the process of deciding to foster together. Licenses are distributed to households, rather than individuals, so they needed to go through the licensing process together.
“Initially, it seemed strange because we’re not a typical, traditional family,” Kasey said. “But the Lord kept bringing it up. We eventually decided to reach out and ask what the options were. Amy [Kingery] said we could be licensed together, so we decided—why not? After a while, it didn’t seem to matter as much if we were a typical family to provide a safe, loving space for kids to learn and heal and grow.”
In June, our Jefferson City office reached an exciting milestone! Kasey and Kristin were one of nine households that completed the first Specialized Training, Assessment, Resources, Support, and Skills (STARS) program we held in Jefferson City.
This is so exciting because the STARS program is the first step toward becoming a foster or adoptive parent in Missouri.
The program outlines trauma-informed parenting principles and introduces prospective foster parents to the rewards and challenges of fostering. Kristin and Kasey said that the program helped prepare them both emotionally and logistically for their foster care journey.
“It was an emotional roller coaster—addressing topics from grief and loss to practical logistics to the importance of fun and play,” Kasey said. “We appreciated the emphasis on trauma-based parenting and the differences between being a foster parent and traditional parenting.”
The STARS class is also a way to establish relationships with other foster parents in the area and hear from guest speakers with personal experience navigating the system and fostering.
“I have the utmost respect for anyone who is willing to give us their time and spend their Saturdays with us to fill this need,” said Kyle Peek, Jefferson City Area Coordinator.
We feel privileged to walk alongside families as they start their foster care journey.
“We have been so amazed at the resources and programs offered through Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries to improve the lives of kids in the foster care system,” Kasey said. “The staff have all been passionate about what they do. They will do whatever they can to help us feel supported and equipped.”
Kasey and Kristin’s story is a great reminder that foster families can be of all shapes and sizes! There is such a need for foster parents in our communities. We are so grateful to Kasey and Kristin for deciding to get licensed and working to create a safe home to be a child—even if the timing or process didn’t look exactly as they expected.
“The timing isn’t up to you—be patient and trust that the Lord has a purpose for the process and is preparing your heart for what’s ahead,” Kasey and Kristin said. “If God asks, just do it, even if it doesn’t look like what you would expect, because it will be better than you expected.”
We have upcoming STARS Training programs this fall in Columbia, Moberly, and Hannibal.
Click here for more information.
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