“This is where you belong.”: The Rivers Family Story

A difficult placement nearly caused Chris and Kathryn Rivers to close their home for good. But their continued “yes” opened the door for two precious girls to find a loving, forever home.

“When we first got married, I was told I wouldn’t be able to have children,” Kathryn shared. “Fostering was something the Lord put on our hearts, to just be available.”

Then God blessed Kathryn and Chris with their first biological son. They still felt God calling them to foster care, but they waited until their son was three years old to officially open their home. 

Their first placement stretched the family to its limits.

“It was a really hard placement,” she said. “It was no fault of the kid by any means, but it was just rough.

“I felt like our hearts were kind of closed off [after that], but then the Lord put our girls in our lives and put on our hearts that they needed a place to be.”

Through their church, Kathryn and Chris met the two girls and built a relationship with them and their older sister. The Riverses’ home was currently closed to placements — until a church member told Chris the two younger sisters were going back to foster care. DFCS called and asked if the family would consider becoming “fictive kin.” This meant Kathryn and Chris, trusted adults who had built a bond with the girls, could welcome them into their home.

“There were no open homes in our county, so they were either going to South Georgia or they were going to be separated,” she said.

“When we started our fostering journey, we never anticipated welcoming teenagers. We originally wanted [to foster] younger kids. Like many looking into fostering, the thought of having teenagers in the home scared us, for whatever reason.”

Yet after praying through the decision, Kathryn and Chris knew they could help these girls.

As the family stepped back into the foster care world, Kathryn knew she needed additional support. She remembered a conversation with another foster mom who fostered through Families 4 Families.

As they connected with Families 4 Families, they found much-needed help through moms’ and dads’ support groups and support opportunities for teenagers.

They also found a case manager whose care was rooted in her faith.

“Having a case manager say, ‘How can I pray for you?’ makes a difference. The case managers are faithful people who go to the Lord in prayer on our behalf and fight for what’s good for the kids,” Kathryn shared.

She also treasured having a case manager who prioritized lightening her load as a parent. 

“It’s hard having a bunch of kids that you’re taking to different appointments and visits. Our case manager made sure that she was able to work with our schedule,” she said. “With Families 4 Families, we were seen. We were heard.”

Together with Families 4 Families and their church family, Chris and Kathryn navigated the difficult emotions of foster care and eventual adoption.

“The goal of foster care isn’t adoption. It’s reunification. It’s getting [biological] families back to a healthy spot,” she said. “We have a teenager who had the hope that her family was going to come back for her.

“Families 4 Families was a good resource to help us through all of those big emotions.”

Their church also stepped up to be a resource when Kathryn and her family needed it most.

“[Our church] was a village for us. They really cared for our girls and our boys, showing the love of Christ to them, being patient and gracious where we needed it. If there were behavior issues or the kids, my husband or I needed encouragement, they were there for us,” she said. 

“It’s the things that seem simple like, ‘Can I take your teenager to coffee?’ or ‘My kids are doing this [activity], do you want to come with us?’ They were just there when we needed them to be.”

In January, the two girls officially joined the Rivers family, surrounded by Families 4 Families and loving church members.

“We were the biggest group in the courtroom,” Kathryn said. “The judge even let our pastor pray before any of the cases started, so he got to share the gospel in the courtroom.

“We were able to say [to our girls], ‘This is where you belong. We’ll be here for you for the rest of your life. We’re here to love you. You’re ours.’” 

As she looks back over her foster care journey, Kathryn’s message to parents praying about foster care is simple: Consider the teens!

“Our teenage daughters are absolutely amazing, resilient and spunky young ladies,” she shared.

“To anyone scared of teenagers, don’t be. Their stories are hard and messy. There are hard days. But it’s so worth it, and we’d do it again a thousand times over.”