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 Jesse, an amazing teen who is looking forward to finding a Forever Family to share his life with! Jesse is a charismatic, outgoing young man who loves staying active and playing sports. He’s a very talented basketball player who can shoot a mean 3-pointer and is really excited about settling into his new home so that he can join the high school basketball team. Jesse is a little old-school when it comes to his favorite basketball player! He reports that it’s Larry Bird and that he has so much admiration for the Boston Celtics in general because they’re the only team in history to have won 18 NBA championships!
When he’s not on the court, Jesse enjoys working out; fishing; boxing; listening to music; reading Rick Riordan books; cooking and drawing pictures of his dream car-a 1965 Chevy Impala. In the same way that he tries to stay active and take care of his body, Jesse takes pride in himself and loves to dress his best! He feels confidant when his hair looks great and he’s dressed well, with his current favorite clothing being anything that’s Dickies brand.
Jesse is a smart and well-spoken teen who does well in school and reports that he currently has a perfect grade in Math class! His philosophy about life is that good things come to people who work hard, strive to be the best, and keep a positive mindset. He has big plans to join the Marine Corps after high school and is excited to serve his country while also hopefully getting the opportunity to see other parts of the world. Jesse is both Hispanic and Native American and is a registered tribal member. A family who shares his ethnicity would be an amazing fit for him, however he’s also open to families who don’t, as long as they can continue to support and help him stay connected to his cultural identity. Jesse needs a family who is open to helping him continue to maintain a few important connections that he’s developed over the years.
Jesse’s Permanency Team describes the best fit for him as a two-parent home where he might be the only, or the oldest, child in the home. A hands-on Dad would be a wonderful fit for him! He is sure to thrive in the care of someone who will spend time with him; cheer him on in his activities; hold him accountable when he needs it; and help guide and support him into achieving the successful life he wants for himself. Jesse would ideally like to stay in the Treasure Valley area however he and his team are also open to hearing from families residing out of the area who feel that they possess the qualities they’re searching for. Every day in foster care is one too many and this deserving teen is ready to move forward in his life. We would love to hear from you. Follow the steps below!
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.