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
If you made a list of all of the traits that would make a child a great fit for your family, we feel confident that you would probably be describing Jay! This incredible teen has hobbies and interests galore, so we’re sure you’ll find many things in common. Jay loves to stay active spending time swimming; going on long walks; playing and watching football and hockey; fishing; and going to concerts. Jay also has the “travel bug” and dreams of someday visiting Germany and other far-off places.
With a funny, easy-going, and always up for anything personality; Jay is a teen who knows who she is and what she values in life. Jay loves reading; drawing; writing poetry; scouring Pinterest for funny memes; showing off her cool sense of style; practicing the guitar and most of all… learning everything she can about bugs! Jay envisions a bright future for herself and hopes to go to the University of Idaho and become an entomologist. This kind and caring “old soul” loves to help others by surprising them with gifts or supporting them with hugs and moral support.
Jay is counting down the days to the end of her foster care journey but needs a committed family who will be there for her for a lifetime. Jay and her Permanency Team have hopes of finding a 2-parent family, hopefully with a love of animals, and are open to having younger children in the home. An adventurous family who loves to spend time together and communicates well, who can also set the clear boundaries and expectations that will guide Jay into the future she longs for, will be a wonderful fit for her.
If you are looking to open your heart and your home to the possibility of adopting an amazing teen, inquire today to learn even more about Jay!
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.