Hillside Strong: Stories of Hillside
“A Family is a Family”: As they approach their 20th anniversary of working with Hillside as foster and adoptive parents, Chris and Alan Girangaya have created a legacy of love and caring for children in need.
Over the years, the Girangayas have fostered dozens of children until the youth could be reunited with their families or other permanent placements could be made. They’ve also legally adopted eight of those children over the years: Today, six of those kids still live with their dads at the family’s home in Holley, NY.
Even among youth who stayed with them for shorter periods, Alan and Chris maintain fond memories of those experiences—and they still hear from some of those children, as well as their parents. “You form these bonds,” Alan says, adding that they’ve found that same sense of “close-knit” connection with the Hillside staff who have supported the Girangayas on their foster journey.
“There are ups and downs,” he says of foster parenting, and an inevitable balance between difficult moments and “days that are joyful”—just like every family experiences.
“Families can look different,” Chris notes, but “a family is a family.”
Stronger Futures Together: How You Can Help
The successes behind these Stories of Hillside are the result of partnerships—among youth, families and staff; community partners committing time, expertise and resources; and donors whose support empowers key programs and drives our innovation. Your support for our work can take many forms, and will help countless young people and adults achieve the stronger futures they deserve.
Become a Foster Parent at Hillside
The need for stable, loving foster homes has never been greater. Hillside provides training and support to ensure your success.
Work at Hillside
As a member of the Hillside team, you’ll advance your career while making a difference every day.
Donate to Hillside
Your generosity ensures the strength of our programs today, and helps us reach more youth, adults and families tomorrow.
Stronger Futures Together: How You Can Help
The successes behind these Stories of Hillside are the result of partnerships—among youth, families and staff; community partners committing time, expertise and resources; and donors whose support empowers key programs and drives our innovation. Your support for our work can take many forms, and will help countless young people and adults achieve the stronger futures they deserve.
Become a Foster Parent at Hillside
The need for stable, loving foster homes has never been greater. Hillside provides training and support to ensure your success.
Donate to Hillside
Your generosity ensures the strength of our programs today, and helps us reach more youth, adults and families tomorrow.
Work at Hillside
As a member of the Hillside team, you’ll advance your career while making a difference every day.
About Foster Parenting at Hillside
Hundreds of youth in our community need help. They can’t live at home because of a variety of family challenges. Like all children, they need a stable and supportive environment to help them succeed. Hillside foster parents provide that environment, and make a critical difference for youth and families in need.
Therapeutic foster parents support youth whose behaviors make it difficult for them to remain at home. The goal of Therapeutic Foster Care is to reunite youth with their families, or if the child is freed, to establish a permanent adoptive family.
Respite care, another vital fostering opportunity, allows a family to provide an alternate setting for youth in need of short-term care and stability due to any number of temporary family crises that could affect their ability to remain healthy and safe.
LEARN MORE
- Click here to begin your journey as a Hillside foster parent. You’ll be connected quickly to a Hillside team member who can provide more information about the many ways you can make a difference, and about Hillside’s training and assistance that support every foster family.
- Chris and Alan Girangaya recently spoke with Hillside President & CEO Maria Cristalli about their rewarding 20-year history as Hillside foster and adoptive parents. Click here to hear that discussion and more, in our “Conversations with the CEO” podcast series.