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
The sibling love abounds in these two sweet brothers! Robert is such an amazing older brother to Mason. He’s very empathic and is super protective of Mason, always trying to help ensure that Mason gets his needs met. This one-of-a-kind boy has many more wonderful traits that go along with his caring heart! He’s also a very friendly and social guy who loves cuddling; playing video games; going to parties and playing with his brother and his friends every chance he gets! Perhaps Robert’s biggest enjoyment comes when he is using his incredible sense of imagination to make up creative games to play, such as his demonstration of what it would be like to walk like a dinosaur, on a recent trip to the Discovery Center!
Younger Brother Mason is a lot like his big brother when it comes to being very imaginative, affectionate and sweet! Don’t underestimate this little guy though, he also has a bit of a “wild side” and loves to be independent. Mason currently enjoys spending time playing with number blocks, spiderman toys and dinosaurs. He is often seeking sensory input from things like swinging, cuddling and being outside playing in the water or climbing something, to help keep himself regulated. Mason’s speech is limited, but he’s making great strides in therapy and finds other ways of letting those around him know what he needs.
The Permanency Team for Robert and Mason is ideally seeking an active, two-parent family for the boys within the Treasure Valley area; however they are open to hearing from any family who feels that they may be a great fit for these amazing siblings. Robert and Mason need caregivers who have a significant understanding of, or experience in, caring for children with developmental needs. Both boys are currently engaged in several services within the school and their community that are helping them to grow and thrive. The right family would need to have the flexibility; time and energy to commit to these ongoing therapies and would be able to frequently carve out time to spend getting to know each of the boys individually as they acclimate into their Forever Home.
If learning a bit about Robert and Mason has you thinking you just may be the right family for these terrific brothers, 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.