Important program update
The Family Resource and Training Center wishes to extend a heartfelt thank you to every one of you who has had such a caring heart for the youth we have served through this program for the past 10 years.
Please read the information below outlining how the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare plans to continue its diligent efforts to find permanency for all children in foster care in Idaho.
Please complete inquiries for any youth you are interested in as soon as possible so that we may process your inquiry before our website closes.
July 28, 2026
To Our Community Partners,
The Idaho Department of Health & Welfare has been proud to partner with Eastern Washington University (EWU) and other community partners to recruit adoptive families for Idaho’s children in foster care. Since Idaho’s Wednesday’s Child began over 25 years ago, the landscape of adoption from foster care has changed yet there continues to be a need for child-specific recruitment for youth most in-need of a permanent home. Over the years the department has reorganized how permanency cases are managed to address this need and to achieve timely permanency for children who cannot return home. These changes include permanency workers “teaming” earlier with family services workers and the addition of a Family Find team to help identify previously unknown relatives and connections for our youth in care. Meanwhile, advances in technology and social media have resulted in increased risks related to public profiles causing Idaho and other states to consider the long-term impact to the youth featured.
The Idaho Department of Health & Welfare is in a position to innovate practices for child-specific recruitment while demonstrating fiscal responsibility. With this in mind, the contract for Wednesday’s Child, Waiting Families and intensive recruitment services is ending effective 09/30/2026. These services will be provided through Youth Safety & Permanency team members beginning October 1, 2026. During this transition, the current website for Idaho Wednesday’s Child will be unavailable while an updated website is created for both our waiting children and waiting families. Idaho will continue to use the AdoptUSKids website during the transition to ensure ongoing efforts to achieve permanency for waiting children.
Thank you for your continued support and advocacy on behalf of Idaho’s children.
Thank you,
Jean M. Fisher
This is Elena, a sweet girl in need of a wonderful Forever Family! Elena has a very long list of all of the things she’s passionate about that make her the amazing kid she is! Her top favorite things to do right now are definitely anything art related; singing her heart out; and dancing along to fun YouTube videos. This well-rounded girls’ other interests include a love of animals; shopping; having her nails done; biking; swimming; reading and cooking. Elena is a budding chef and likes to make up her own recipes. She’s also not afraid to try new foods and recently tried Ceviche without even hesitating! Elena is looking forward to a life that feels safe, secure and supportive, so she can focus on simply being a kid and having fun!
Elena’s Permanency Team is searching for a family with a strong understanding of the effects of childhood trauma, who can be a dedicated educational advocate for her and who will commit to continuing her community services that help her to thrive and grow. A two-parent family, where one parent is either a stay-at-home parent or has a flexible schedule, would be a great fit for Elena. Parents who are active, patient, and nurturing; while also providing structure and clear boundaries would be an ideal match. Elena has a younger sister that she shares a strong bond with. She will need a family committed to helping her maintain that relationship. If you believe that your home is possibly the right fit for this amazing girl, we encourage you to inquire today for more information about Elena!
The Idaho Wednesday's Child Program prioritizes the safety and security of children, above all else. In an effort to protect the safety of the youth we serve, our process requires families to possess a current, approved adoption home study. Only families with a current home study can view youth's full profiles with videos and photos and submit inquiries, on the Secure Gallery Page.