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Rookie Foster Parent of the Year | Jessica & David Conger

When asked to describe this year’s Rookie Foster Parent of the year, we were told, “the biggest hearts, willing to help in absolutely any way they can, amazing.” While their fostering journey so far has been short, their impact in the lives of the youth they’ve had will last a lifetime. With willing hearts and an open home this family has continued to jump in to meet needs any time an opportunity arises and we are pleased to share that this year’s foster parent rookie of the year goes to Jessica and David Conger.

The Congers were licensed in early 2021, with the intention to make a difference, and started accepting placements very soon after. As placements arrived, the Congers quickly stepped into their role with routines, love, passion and advocacy. They are eager to meet a presented need and will exhaust all options until the need is met while still working to determine how else they can help and support. The Congers willingness to help goes beyond just their placements as they have volunteered for respites, have offered support to other new parents, and even allowed their worker to borrow AND INSTALLED the carseats for an after hours emergency. The Congers are often found with a welcoming smile and an honest “We want to do what we can to help”. 

The Congers have truly embodied the CHOICES mission and values. They are compassionate and quick to step up when a need arises. They have demonstrated trust within their teams to ensure that their youth will always leave better than they came. They have demonstrated commitment through sticking it out when most would have thrown the towel in and even remaining in contact with the birth family of a previous placement. They work with the team when things haven’t gone the way they planned, turning to their worker for guidance and new ideas. Finally, they are innovative doing absolutely whatever it takes to make sure that no one is left to figure things out on their own.

One of our favorite stories about the Congers is their work with an older teen who was placed in their home after circumstances much beyond their control. This child came as respite, stayed as a household member and now remains as family. The Congers worked hard with this youth to give them skills to succeed and ensures them they will always have a place to call home. Through intentional devotion and assurance the Congers were able to help this youth find a job, learn to make a meal, apply for colleges, begin building healthy relationships, get their temps AND HELPED THEM LEARN TO DRIVE, and truly demonstrated what it looks like to have a family. This youth was able to thrive, truly thrive, for one of the first times in their life because of their support and commitment to ensuring that the healing process would continue with them. 

It has been a privilege to watch the Congers put in the hard work to make a difference and the impact will forever be far greater than they know. Thank you Conger family for going above and beyond, for doing the hard work and for always showing up with a smile and willing heart. We absolutely could not do what we do without you and we are thrilled that we don’t have to. We appreciate you! 

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