Marcus and Hannah's Foster Care Journey with PCHAS

Our team felt an instant connection when Hannah reached out to Presbyterian Children's Homes and Services (PCHAS) in June 2023. Her warmth and previous fostering experience made our first conversation flow easily. She and her husband, Marcus, were also active in a church known for supporting foster and adoptive families, where Hannah helped foster parents find resources and build support teams.

It has been about two years since that first call, and we asked Hannah and Marcus to share their story. Throughout the conversations, there was continual evidence that God’s timing and plans are perfect and that He created us to connect with others to give and receive support.

"God's work of foster care isn't actually the outward; it's the heart," Marcus said. He explained that fostering isn't only about providing care for children. It's about how God uses this process to work in the hearts of the foster parents, birth families, and children.

Finding Their Path

Marcus and Hannah fostered between 2015 and 2018 in another part of Texas. They cared for five children during that time - three individual children and one sibling group of two. Initially, they were responding to help children caught in the crisis at the Texas border, not far from their home. They learned about fostering unaccompanied children and found out that the foster care services for these kids are administered through a federal program. Fostering unaccompanied minors is different in almost every way from fostering abused and neglected Texas children. As they learned more about the program and expectations, they realized it wasn’t the right fit for their family at that time. They did not know any other foster parents and had little experience, but they felt God was leading them to continue somehow. They researched some more, found a local agency, and jumped in. Their daughters Bethany and Lydia adjusted well to sharing their home with foster siblings. It was a good experience, and they felt blessed to be able to help.

A New Chapter

By 2023, a lot had changed for their family. Hannah and Marcus had welcomed a third daughter, Juliana. They had also moved, so they were meeting new people, building relationships, and finding ways to serve with their new church. Their older girls were now busy with school, church activities, and friends. They had more to navigate. They also knew that their daughters were older and could understand more, so they prepared them differently before fostering again.

Through her work with their church's foster care and adoption ministry, Hannah had become passionate about building support teams to help foster families succeed. While they hadn't intentionally created a structured support network during their first fostering experience, Hannah saw how support helped families counter compassion fatigue and burnout. Creating a support team was essential for her as they prepared to foster again, and Marcus wholeheartedly agreed.

PCHAS verified the couple to foster in September 2024, and two months later, they welcomed two preschool-aged children into their home. Six months into the placement, Hannah and Marcus agree their support team has been their lifeline.

It's hard to predict what each child will need, so even when families are open to the same types of children (think age, race, gender, number of children, etc.), the experience is never the same. That’s the case this time around for Marcus and Hannah. She shared that their preferences are similar to what they were open to before, but the children they are fostering have greater needs than they experienced in the past. Yet, in what they see as God's perfect timing, they have people helping them and making it possible to give these kids their best. The journey has been humbling at times, but they take pride in how they've grown and are grateful for God's faithfulness.

The Power of a Support Team

Marcus praised Hannah for putting together such an incredible support team for their family. They waited two months between verification and their first placement. That’s not long, but it is longer than PCHAS expected, given the family’s experience and openness. Yet, they can already see that the timing helped them have their support team ready. God brought more people onto their team during those two months, and He prepared everyone to be ready when needed.

Their support team plays many different roles:

• Emergency Placement Coordinator – This person was the go-to for the family when they found out that the children were coming. Their coordinator helped them get last-minute items to help the kids settle in, they communicated with the support team, and they fielded calls and questions so Hannah and Marcus could focus on the children.


• The "Diaper Angel" - Someone (they still don't know who!) arranged for diapers to arrive on their doorstep through Amazon every few weeks for the past six months. Every box is a financial blessing that allows the family to focus their resources on other needs for the children, and it reminds them of God’s provision and care.


• Babysitters – To babysit children in foster care of any age for any length of time, supporters must be approved. Marcus and Hannah say their PCHAS-approved babysitters have been a godsend. Even so, six months into fostering, Hannah and Marcus can better predict the amount and type of support they need. They want to expand their network of babysitters to ensure they have the right help and don’t overburden their support team members.


• Meal Providers - Several families bring them meals, and as Marcus says, "It's not just a meal; it's a meal at the right time." A home-cooked meal seems to arrive when they feel overwhelmed or need to focus their energy elsewhere. It is helpful, and it is dinner, but it is also an encouragement and reminder that they are seen and known by people who care about their family. Foster parents care for kids with a history of trauma, and they have to do things most other parents don’t have to, like completing documentation, meeting with different members of the child’s team and coordinating their visits to the home, following rules, and asking permission to travel.


• Prayer Partners - These friends provide spiritual support by interceding for the family. Marcus and Hannah believe that prayer is powerful, and it means so much to them to know that people are committed to praying for their family. They are discerning about who they invite into this role because it’s also essential that these prayer warriors respect the children’s privacy.


• Tangible Supports – Marcus and Hannah have received gift cards and other items. These unexpected blessings have lightened their load, put wind in their sails, and helped them ensure the kids have everything they need to thrive.


• Support for Hannah and Marcus’ Children – Recognizing the impact of fostering on children, Hannah and Marcus have enlisted trusted adults to provide proactive support for their daughters. They always want to be available for their girls but recognize that fostering adds demands, needs, and potential stressors. They want their daughters to have people intentionally checking in on them and creating opportunities for their girls’ voices to be heard and valued by people they know they can trust.

This support network is even more meaningful because it spreads awareness about foster care. One dad delivered a meal and shared with Marcus his excitement that his kids helped prepare the dinner. He also told Marcus his company was looking to spotlight people involved with foster care. Marcus encouraged their friend to share with his CEO the unique way he and his family support foster care by providing home-cooked meals each month. It is much more than “just cooking a meal;” they are part of a support team, and their daughters are learning the importance of serving others. By sharing his story, he’s also helping even more people understand how they can use their gifts and talents to help kids in foster care. "It's important to help other people explore their own role in caring for the vulnerable through foster care or other avenues. We work together to bring light and healing to families experiencing brokenness,” Marcus explained.

Learning and Growing

Hannah and Marcus have noticed significant differences between their current and previous fostering experiences. Before, they didn't have babysitters or emergency support. Now, they have a whole team ready to help.

"There are things only we can do as foster parents," Hannah said, "but there are others that we can allow people to help with. That becomes a blessing to us and them."

They've also found their current experience with PCHAS very different from their previous agency. Marcus noted that their first agency "followed the rules but didn't offer extra services." With PCHAS, they've received excellent training and appreciate the agency's efforts to prepare and support families with excellence.

"The case workers are very thorough," Hannah added. "Our kids get truly individualized service plans that help everyone understand their needs and work together to help them progress in different areas. It's definitely not a one-size-fits-all approach. We can tell the staff really care about what they do."

Focused on Reunification

Hannah and Marcus are clear about their goal to support families as they work toward reunification. They’ve talked about adoption but are focusing on foster care right now. Sometimes, people will ask them if they intend to adopt the children they are fostering. It seems natural for people investing so much in children to want to make them a permanent family member. Hannah and Marcus view these questions and conversations as an opportunity to educate people about how foster care and adoption work and to share God’s heart for restoring families.

"Whether or not it seems possible for the children to go home, we hold fast to that goal and aim to support reunification 100%," Hannah shared.

Advice for Others

We asked Hannah and Marcus to share their advice for those thinking about fostering or adopting.

Hannah highly recommends creating a support team and encourages families to bring others into the process early.

"People want to help kids in foster care, but they don't always know how," she explained. By inviting friends and family to support your journey from the beginning, you create a stronger network for the challenging days ahead.

Marcus added: "It's important to discern what level you can invite people into. We must protect the dignity of the children and see their stories as sacred." It’s important for foster families to know they can rely on their support team for help and to trust that the info they choose to share is held in confidence.

Marcus and Hannah didn’t know what they were preparing for, but that’s the beauty of preparation. As they work to help kids heal from the difficult experiences that led them into foster care, their load feels a little lighter because they have a team cheering them on and supporting them along the way. It’s made a more challenging experience better, and they feel good knowing they’ve helped others find ways to help kids in foster care, too.

Have You Ever Thought About Fostering?

Whether you’ve dreamed of fostering for a long time or are considering it for the first time, we want to help. PCHAS offers regular Foster Care & Adoption Online Info Sessions. During these free, one-hour Zoom meetings, we help families understand how foster care and adoption work, explain the roles and expectations, and answer any questions they may have. Visit pchas.org/FosterAdoptEvents for upcoming dates and registration. You can also connect with your Foster Care & Adoption Guide at fosteradopt@pchas.org or text “FOSTER” to (281) 324-0544.