Families from all walks of life often face challenges, and sometimes those challenges can be too difficult to overcome without support from caring professionals. When James suddenly had to become the primary caregiver for his two young children, he felt stressed and overwhelmed with this important responsibility. After serving our country in Iraq, James suffered from post traumatic stress disorder and had difficulty adjusting to civilian life. He began using substances to cope, and a court decision was made to remove his children from the home and have a foster family care for them while James learned healthy skills for becoming a successful father in order to safely reunite his family.

James recalls the very first day he met with his KVC caseworker Lindsey. “She came in the room with folders of paperwork that needed to be filled out. But before we got into that, she put the folders aside and had a conversation with me. It was comforting that she put herself in my position and really wanted to help me.”

When talking about foster parents, James considers them to be heroes. “Foster parents care for children of all different ages and races and give them love, which sometimes is something these kids haven’t gotten from their parents.” James and his children continue to have a close relationship with the foster parents that helped and supported his family. James is also the recipient of this year’s Father-of-the-Year Award at the Governor’s Conference!

Watch this video to hear more of James’ story: 

Watch 41 Action News – KSHB TV’s story on James.

Through KVC’s partnership with the Kansas Department for Children and Families, 1,030 children were safely reunited with their 635 families after being in Kansas foster care last year. We are proud to play a role in strengthening Kansas families and coming alongside them during their time of crisis. We applaud the hardworking families that have achieved reunification or are currently working toward it. Learn more about our reintegration services, watch more success story videos or read how KVC has helped strengthen families in multiple states.

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