You could play a vital role in changing the life of a child. Right now thousands of kids in San Diego County need your support. They need welcoming families to open their hearts and their homes to provide a safe, loving place where they can thrive.
San Diego County’s East Region Resource Family of the Year, Dave and Andrea Trautman, join our Laura Cavanaugh to talk about their journey working as a family to support kids in crisis.
The couple started their foster care journey more than two years ago.
“We had started this journey of growing our own family and had our own experiences of infertility,” said Andrea Trautman. “Dave had always been interested in fostering. I had been interested in adoption. So we thought let’s just kind of get involved in that process.”
They initially fostered two children, facilitated visits and supported reunification. Over time, those children had to return to care, but their family had grown since then.
“We knew that these children loved their baby sister so much and couldn’t imagine a world in which they were separated,” said Dave Trautman. “We found ourselves overnight with three children under five in the household, along with the dog and each other.”
The Trautmans were recognized for their role in going above and beyond as communicators, working with biological families to support reunification. As educators, the couple inherently cares for kids. While they’ve seen kids with the deck stacked against them, they say they have also seen the difference it makes in the life of a child when you have someone who consistently shows up.
“We are providing a space where they’re going to have opportunities. It’s going to shape their life forever. Having the safety, having the stability, having this place where they can go and be loved during a time that’s really difficult for them is going to support them in the long run forming healthy relationships and healthy attachments,” said Dave Trautman. “It’s setting them up for a lifetime of success both emotionally and psychologically. Knowing that it minimizes, to the extent possible, the impact of the trauma in the short term and the long term is really rewarding.”
There is currently a tremendous amount of need for caring resource families to step up. If you have a strong desire to make a positive difference in the life of a child and help them prepare for a brighter future, open your home and open your heart.
To learn more about becoming a resource parent, call 1-877-792-KIDS or log on to www.sdcares4kids.com
Sponsored by County of San Diego HHSA