The Journey of Kelsey: Embracing the Calling to Foster Care

Growing up, it always seemed like every little girl’s dream was to get married and have a baby of their own. For me, that dream looked a little different. Don’t get me wrong—I loved kids. I was always excited to tag along with my big sister when she babysat, and I couldn’t wait until I was old enough to watch kids on my own.

I volunteered in children’s church and at kids’ camps, and by the time I was 15, I became a nanny for three amazing girls who quickly felt like little sisters. I played with them, did their hair, fed them, changed diapers, and even had to discipline them sometimes. But even with all that, I was often told I’d never truly understand what it was like to be a “real mom” until I gave birth to a child of my own.

And honestly, viewpoint has always made me a little sad and to be honest those words have stuck with me to this day. Not because I was ever trying to be their parent, but because I never felt like I needed to give birth to a child in order to love and care for them like a mother would. Deep down, I think I always knew I might never give birth to a child of “my own”—and somehow, that was seen as the requirement to be a “real mom.”

I know that might sound silly to some. Maybe you don’t see it the same way I do. But for me, it was never about a child being my own flesh and blood—it was about the simple truth that each one of them is God’s handiwork: unique, loved, and created with purpose. I love making crafts with them, spending time with them, talking with them, and discovering what makes each of them light up. I’ve always wanted the kids in my life to feel deeply seen, special, and loved by me—whether they came from my womb or not.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve felt drawn to adoption. I knew it was something God had placed on my heart. But fostering? That always felt like too much—too emotional, too hard, too heartbreaking to let kids go. Little did I know that in my mid-20s, while attending a young adult group at Red Rocks Church, God would begin to change my heart. I can’t tell you what sermon series it was or even who was preaching. But I remember standing in a dark auditorium and feeling God speak to me. It wasn’t an audible voice, but a deep, undeniable impression in my spirit. Just like Elijah in 1 Kings 19, God didn’t speak through fire or wind—but in a gentle whisper.

And my first gut reaction?

Nope. Definitely not. I can’t do that.

I wanted to run the other way, and just ignore it. But that’s also exactly how I knew it was from Him—because there was no part of me that would have come up with that on my own.

Over the next year, God slowly softened my heart. The fear began to fade, and in its place came an unexpected excitement. Around the same time, He led me to become a youth leader—again, something I never pictured myself doing. I had always worked in children’s ministry, but teenagers? That felt like uncharted territory. I ended up giving in and saying yes to His gentle nudges. Through that yes, I got to mentor some of the most amazing young women, build lifelong friendships with other leaders, and—unexpectedly—meet my future husband.

You could say Greg and I fell in love while serving kids and stacking chairs.

Before we ever started dating, we were just two friends who’d hang out after youth group, having deep conversations about life. One night, we sat in the car for hours talking about the things we felt God was calling us to do. Greg shared that he felt led to donate a kidney. I told him I felt called to foster care. At the time, it was just a conversation—two hearts sharing quietly. We had no idea that just a few years later, we would both donate our kidneys... and then get married and prepare to step into this foster care journey together.

In 2023, we got married in Silverthorne, Colorado. Fostering had always been part of the plan, but life threw a few curveballs our way—career shifts, family transitions, and the challenge of building a stable foundation for the future. So we waited, trusting that when the time was right, God would make it clear.

Some of you might be wondering why we didn’t try to have biological kids first. The truth is, I felt God specifically calling me to foster care. And if we had chosen to start a family biologically first, it would’ve delayed stepping into that calling. On top of that, I’ve met so many people who said they wanted to foster or adopt “someday,” but once they started having kids of their own, they never made it back to that calling.

For me, fostering wasn’t a backup plan—it was the plan. Since it was something God placed so clearly on my heart, I wanted to follow that first. And if we do have biological children one day, that’ll be a beautiful blessing—but we wanted to be obedient to God’s call from the start.

At the end of 2024, I felt God’s nudge again—it was time to move forward and start the licensing process. Little did I know, just a few weeks later, God would stir the same fire in Greg’s heart too.

And now? Here we are—standing on the edge of this new season, stepping into it together.

It’s funny how clearly you can see God’s handiwork when you look back. There are still moments when fear creeps in, when I wonder how it will all play out. But more than anything, I’m excited—to see what God has in store, and how He might use us to bring love, healing, and hope to the kids who enter our lives.

We created this blog to share our experiences—the hard things, the beautiful moments, the unknowns, and the everyday joys. Our hope is that by opening up our journey, we might open eyes and hearts to the impact of foster care, and help others see that there are so many ways to make a difference—even if you're not called to foster yourself.

So here we go.

Let the journey begin!