Where to Find Us:
Idaho Child Welfare Research & Training Center
2005 Ironwood Parkway Ste #200 Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814-2466
Phone: 1-800-745-1186
Fax: 1-208-676-0435
Email: icwrtc@ewu.edu
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 first step in finding out whether you may be an adoptive match for a child you are interested in is to get in touch with us at Wednesday's Child.
Idaho Child Welfare Research & Training Center
2005 Ironwood Parkway Ste #200 Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814-2466
Phone: 1-800-745-1186
Fax: 1-208-676-0435
Email: icwrtc@ewu.edu
mlloyd7@ewu.edu
Melissa joined the Idaho Wednesday’s Child team in 2019. Her favorite part of being the Special Programs Coordinator is meeting all the amazing families that inquire and being a small part in helping youth find their Forever Home. When not doing what she loves at work, Melissa spends a lot of time outdoors with her husband, daughter, and friends! Running, playing Pickleball, enjoying iced Chai lattes, and playing with her 10 nieces and nephews are a few of her favorite activities.
More about Melissa Lloyd:
After growing up in Gig Harbor, Chicago, and Phoenix, Melissa made her way back to her hometown of Boise in 2009. She received her education in Biblical Studies from Boise Eternity Bible College and Murrieta Calvary Chapel Bible College. Melissa started her career at Child Welfare in 2018 as a contractor with the One Church One Child Program. She worked as the Fostering Idaho Recruitment Events Planner for the West-Hub and a visitation tech for the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. When not doing what she loves at work, Melissa spends a lot of time outdoors with her husband and friends! Running, exploring Idaho's mountains, enjoying iced lattes, and playing with her 10 nieces and nephews are a few of her favorite activities. Melissa joined the Idaho Wednesday’s Child team in 2019. Her favorite part of being the Special Programs Coordinator is meeting all the amazing kids and being a small part in helping them find their forever home!
swhite52@ewu.edu
Shawn has a Bachelor’s degree from Lewis Clark State College in Social Work and spent the 8 years prior to coming to the Idaho Wednesday’s Child Program as a Child Protection Case Manager with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, working with children in care as well as foster families. Shawn is a mother of 6 amazing grown children and has 9 grandchildren. Shawn loves to spend time with her family and friends boating, fishing, camping and just hanging out. Shawn’s favorite part of being on the Idaho Wednesday's Child team is getting to be a part of instilling hope in all children that they are loved and wanted and that the family that was meant to be theirs forever is out there waiting.
More about Shawn White:
Shawn grew up in Twin Falls, Idaho and has since lived in areas all throughout the state, including Nampa, Lewiston and beautiful Coeur d’Alene. She now resides in Nampa, with her husband Kevin. Shawn has a Bachelor’s degree from Lewis Clark State College in Social Work and spent the 8 years prior to coming to the Idaho Wednesday’s Child Program as a Child Protection Case Manager with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, working with children in care as well as foster families. Shawn is a mother of 6 amazing grown children and has 8 grandchildren, with another on the way. Shawn loves to spend time with her family and friends boating, fishing, camping and just hanging out. Shawn’s favorite part of being on the Idaho Wednesday's Child team is getting to be a part of instilling hope in all children that they are loved and wanted and that the family that was meant to be theirs forever is out there waiting.