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Fairfield County employees Bailey and Garrett Blevens describe becoming foster parents
Summary
Bailey and Garrett Blevens, employees of Fairfield County, discussed on the podcast On with Anie how county Job and Family Services supported them through licensing, casework and community programs during their first year as foster parents and one teen placement that later reunified with family.
Bailey and Garrett Blevens, employees of Fairfield County, said they became licensed foster parents to provide daytime stability and everyday family experiences for children in the county’s care.
On the podcast On with Anie, Bailey Blevens said fostering runs in her family and the couple officially marked one year as foster parents on the day of the interview. "I come from a family of foster parents," Bailey said, describing a family history of fostering that helped spur the decision to apply. "One of my sisters is actually fostering right now." Garrett said, "We've had one placement so far," noting the placement was a teen.
The couple credited Fairfield County Job and Family Services (JFS) for hands-on support, including licensing, training and an assigned caseworker. "We are licensed through our county JFS and she's phenomenal," Bailey said. They described county-run training, foster-parent support groups and an assigned caseworker who connected the child to tutoring grants and Special Olympics activities for developmental supports.
Guests emphasized that many of the most meaningful benefits were small, everyday experiences. "There's so much impact that you can have just by showing up for a kid every day that hasn't normally had that," Bailey said. Garrett described teaching the teen life skills and experiences such as learning to ride a bike as especially rewarding: "...teaching her how to ride a bike and that was so cool."
The guests also highlighted respite homes—other licensed foster homes that can provide temporary care—as an important resource for foster families, and encouraged prospective foster parents to reach out to county staff and other foster families for support.
Host Anie noted that the couple’s placement recently ended because the child was able to be cared for by a family member, and the guests said that keeping or restoring family connections is the stated goal of foster placements.
For people interested in becoming foster parents in Fairfield County, the episode directs listeners to fcjfs.org for more information.
