We Became Foster Parents, and You Can Too

Brian and Karren Husa take pride in their loving family.

“We’ve taken care of three foster children,” says Brian, “and we’ve been blessed to add two of them to our family forever.”

“It’s amazing,” adds Karren. “These kids are resilient. It seems like one hug, one smile, one toss of a ball and they were in. They felt like they were part of your family—not excluding their bio family. Now they just had two families.”

Kids come into foster care for a variety of reasons. Ultimately, CEDARS goal is to either safely reunite children with their families or help find a permanent home for them. Until these goals can be achieved, foster families give kids stability and room to grow as individuals.

With offices in Lincoln and Bellevue, the Nebraska-based CEDARS has been serving children and families for over 70 years. The CEDARS Foster Care team works every day to ensure that over 200 foster children and youth flourish in loving families. Because foster parents are an integral part of the CEDARS professional team, they are equipped with exceptional training, have access to support 24/7, monthly support groups and quarterly gatherings for foster families.

Brian and Karren believe that it wasn’t any special quality that allowed them to make a difference for children, but it was the conscious decision to open their hearts and home.

“They just need to be loved and hugged and a family that they can sit at the dinner table with and eat dinner together,” says Karren.

CEDARS staff walk alongside children and families every step of the way. With encouragement, guidance and direction, the team has the honor of watching lives change.

It is important to know that there is no typical CEDARS foster family. CEDARS foster families include parents with children at home, single adults, and empty nesters. To help, all you need is a stable home, an open heart and a willingness to reach out to a child in need.

“To get involved with foster care,” says Karren, “is life changing in the most amazing way you’ll ever know. Changing the life of even one child is huge.”

If you have ever considered fostering and would like more information, please contact Adrianne Poppe at (402) 437-8959 or apoppe@cedars-kids.org.