You Can Make a Difference: Learn about becoming a Hillside foster parent, and start your journey today.
Foster parents Jillian Sylvis and her husband Aaron already knew 5-year-old “K” before the child came to live with their family. In fact, that familiarity—and the open hearts of the Sylvises—helped make the placement a success.
In May 2023, Jillian and Aaron first met “K” when her cousin, the Sylvises’ babysitter, would occasionally bring her to their home. Through those initial visits, Jillian—who works in early childhood education—began to notice “K’s” developmental challenges, including social deficits, emotional outbursts and medical needs. Offering to help, Jillian advocated for special education supports: “K” qualified for occupational, speech, vision and physical therapy.
Eighteen months later, the Sylvis family was able to do even more. “K” had been returned to her biological mother, but evolving circumstances required another foster care placement. “Without hesitation, I offered to have her come and live with us” in a formal foster placement, Jillian recalls. “Our lives were changed forever.”
This type of placement, known as Kinship Care, is a particular area of focus in Hillside’s array of foster parenting services. Kinship Care involves securing placements for children in need with caring adults who may know the child through a wide range of pre-existing relationships – this can include a biological relative; a family friend; or another adult who knows, cares for and is trusted by the child. While every foster family plays a critical role, these pre-existing connections, when available, can play a significant role in helping the child feel comfortable in their new home environment.
As their relationship with “K” deepened and additional support was needed, Hillside helped them connect with care coordinators, skill builders and behavior analysts, and facilitated training in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention and Kinship Care. Today, Jillian says, that support has equipped them for their roles as caregivers to this young girl.
The Sylvises understand that “K’s” placement with them is technically temporary—all involved are still hoping for the child to be reunited with her biological family in the future—but she’s still a much-loved member of this happy blended family.
“It’s had its challenges, but it has also been truly rewarding,” she says. “We’ll be forever grateful for having ‘K’ in our lives.”