From Calling to Connection: How One Family’s Love Transforms Lives

When Justin and Stefanie first stepped onto the foster care campus, they couldn’t have imagined how deeply their lives would change. Fresh out of seminary, Justin was searching for a meaningful way to put his faith and compassion into action. Becoming group home parents wasn’t on their radar, but a gentle nudge from a mentor opened their hearts to the possibility.

Their journey began in a home filled with laughter, chaos, and the challenges of caring for six to eight children at a time. Among those kids was Tierra, a fourth-grader with bright eyes and a spark of curiosity. She was the first child to approach them. “Wow, you’re tall,” she remarked, breaking the ice with her frank and innocent observation. Justin and Stefanie couldn’t have imagined then how much that moment would come to mean.

Tierra and her brother Dominic were part of a sibling group placed on campus due to their grandmother’s inability to care for all the children she had adopted. Though Justin and Stefanie were not their legal parents, they quickly became the consistent, loving presence Tierra and Dominic desperately needed.

Justin recalls the small but meaningful ways they connected with Tierra. Each night, she asked to be read to until she fell asleep—a simple request that demonstrated her longing for stability and care. Even as she grew older, it was clear that what she truly craved was a sense of belonging.

Despite the boundaries of their role as group home parents, Justin and Stefanie couldn’t ignore the deep bond forming with Tierra and Dominic. Over time, it became clear that these two children needed more than weekend visits and periodic check-ins. They needed a family and a sense of home.

Today, Justin continues to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable children and their families. As a Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRIâ) trainer, he equips case managers within the agency with tools to help parents build strong, healthy connections with children who have experienced trauma. By empowering case managers to pass these skills to parents, Justin is extending the ripple effect of healing far beyond his own family.

Justin and Stefanie adopted Tierra and Dominic, and their family continues to grow. This story is just one example of how lives are transformed when love, care, and faith ripple outward. What began as an unexpected calling has grown into a legacy of hope and connection, one that continues to impact children, families, and communities every day.

To learn more about our foster care and adoption program, visit https://www.pchas.org/what-we-do/foster-care-adoption