A Family Made for Isaiah: Ruth and Israel's Kinship Story

For more than 15 years, foster care has been a quiet conversation in Ruth and Israel's home. It started after their oldest son, Caleb, was born. Ruth mentioned the idea, and the couple talked it over. They felt compassion for kids who needed families. But the need felt too big, and they weren't sure where to start.

Life moved forward. The family grew by three more kids: daughters Yamileth and Evelyn, and a son named Levi. In 2023, Ruth became a homemaker. Life was busy and full, but the thought of kids in foster care had never faded. Ruth brought it up again, and once more, she and Israel began seriously talking about it.

Then the need became personal.

Thanksgiving

While they gathered with family to celebrate Thanksgiving, Ruth and Israel learned that a new, young cousin had been removed from his parents’ care and placed with a foster family.

When these situations occur, child welfare works with the parents to help make the home safe again. At the same time, caseworkers look for relatives or close family friends who can step in as Kinship Caregivers to give children a safe, loving home while keeping them connected to their family story.

Ruth and Israel knew what they needed to do. They completed background checks and a Kinship Assessment. The court approved their home, and they welcomed Isaiah into their family when he was about five months old.

Taking the Next Step

Once Isaiah was settled in, Ruth and Israel reached out to PCHAS to become verified foster parents. In Texas, kinship caregivers can take this step to receive more support and benefits. It also opens the door to legal permanency if a child needs it.

With help from PCHAS staff, Ruth and Israel finished their training, paperwork, and assessment in about five months.

"It felt like a long process with a lot of steps," Ruth recalls. "But looking back, it was worth it. I understand now why the process and the training matter so much."

Growing From Six to Seven

The goal of foster care is always reunification, and the court works to reunite a child with their birth family whenever it's safe to do so. That decision belongs to the court alone. It has nothing to do with the foster or kinship family.

In time, the court decided reunification wasn't the right path for Isaiah. When that happened, Isaiah's team asked Ruth and Israel to become his legal parents. They loved Isaiah, he was thriving with them, and it made sense for him to stay.

They said yes, growing their family of six to a family of seven. Isaiah came to their family a different way than their other kids did, but Ruth says they don't see any difference between them. They love and treat them all the same way. She's grateful their extended family sees it the same way, too. Support and encouragement poured in from both sides of the family, and it made all the difference.

A Blessing That Goes Both Ways

Listening to Ruth talk about her family, it's easy to see how they've been a blessing to Isaiah. But it goes both ways. Isaiah has enriched their lives too. He's given this family a beautiful way to live out their faith through service, and they now can see that God was growing and preparing them to foster all along.

You don't have to fix foster care. You just have to help one child or one sibling group.

10,000 Texas kids were removed from their families last year due to abuse or neglect. Most are school-aged, and many have brothers and sisters they need to stay with. The need can feel too big to face.

When the need focused on one child, Ruth and Israel were able to accept the challenge. It's a reminder that we're each called to serve in different ways. Focus on what you can do, not everything that needs doing.

During National Kinship Month, we're celebrating families like Israel and Ruth who focus on the children in front of them, not the size of the need behind them. If you’re a Texas Kinship Caregiver, we’d be honored to share with you the resources and support available for your family. Connect with a Foster Care & Adoption Guide at www.pchas.org/connect.

If you care about children in foster care but don’t know of a specific need, we’d love to hear from you, too. Sign up for an Online Info Session at www.pchas.org/FosterAdoptEvents to learn more.