Ashley Ferris is the lead coordinator for an Indiana-based care community. Her story is interesting because she felt called to serve as a foster parent, but she couldn’t get over the hump of getting licensed. It just looked too hard for her. But she still felt burdened to serve. Over time, a friend let her know about Hands of Hope, an organization that partners with child protective services in her state by providing care communities to foster families. That piqued her interest. Then, members of Ashley’s church started a foster care ministry, Hope & Olive Ministries, where she has found her calling. She made a 12-month commitment and has just signed up for another year. That’s why she’s one of our #HeroesOfFosterCare. In this episode, Ashley breaks down the mechanics of a care community, why they’re so important, and how they ensure foster families thrive.

Resources mentioned in this episode

• Hope & Olive Ministries

• Promise 686

• Hands of Hope

More on Takkeem Morgan

I work with child welfare agencies to develop and manage data-driven recruitment and retention campaigns for foster parents. My mission is to work with others to bring world-class innovation and ingenuity into the child welfare ecosystem. I'm currently working on using the private sector’s innovative technologies to bring foster parents together to connect, share and grow. For more on me, visit takkeemmorgan.com.

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The Mosaic Foster Parents Café podcast is produced by Zuri Berry (@ZMCPodcasts).