Foster Family in Siskiyou County | A letter from the Akana family:

Hi everyone!

We’re the Akanas, and we’re a foster family in Siskiyou County. We’ve been with the Children First Foster Family Agency for about 7 years now. My husband (who just retired from the county last year), our daughter (who lives with us and helps out when she can) and I work together to provide a ‘home away from home’ for our little guests.

I can remember like it was yesterday our first placement call. I was caring for several children from families my husband worked with so at 6:30 am I was greeting my kiddos at the door. The night we got the first call for two little boys, probably 8 months and 3 years. We said yes. It might have been 9 or 10 at night when the babies arrived. We soothed, we cuddled, we talked reassuringly but when it came to lights out, that’s when the fears crept in and the crying began. 

I’m sure most of you know what I’m talking about. The littlest just cried and cried and wouldn’t be comforted and as the midnight hour drew near, thoughts of my 6:30 am little visitors crept in my head, and I thought “I can’t do this.” I quickly called Pam (those who’ve been with CFFA for a while will remember her, an amazing gal, we miss her) leaving her a message telling her “the baby will not be consoled and it’s almost midnight, and I’ve got daycare kiddos coming at 6:30 am, I don’t think I can do this.”

Fast forward 7 years- we’re still doing it and sometimes now I have to pinch myself when I think how blessed I am ‘to get to do this.’ It’s not easy. Every time a new little one comes to stay there is the chaos of adjustment…the theme of a past Olympic program comes to mind.

 ‘O the agony and the ecstasy .’ The PAIN of adjusting to one another, having to set appropriate behavioral boundaries, being resisted and pushed away and finally having to let go when once you’ve come to the place of love and trust. O, but the JOYS of love and trust. Hugs, songs, and bedtime stories; talks at the breakfast table; backpacks, front packs, and diapers. The sweetest little smiles. Being called mommy and daddy, and snuggled… O the Joys! And in one week we will sign papers to adopt our first forever child, the JOY ♥️

But in a month roughly, we will say goodbye to a precious baby we have cared for from birth. She’s now 6 months old. O the PAIN when I think of that goodbye day. So we try not to. We try to just love and appreciate today and ask God for the strength and peace to go through whatever we must. That is our journey. And we’re incredibly thankful we’ve been apart of this mission with you. God bless every family, their kiddos and the agency team that works so hard to find the best placement for the kids and to assist the families with the needs that arrive

♥️ Thank you! 

Tim, Tracey and Kealia, Akana.

If you are interested in learning more about becoming a foster family in Siskiyou County, contact Children First Foster Family Agency or apply to become a resource parent. 

Children First FFA is a private, non-profit organization in Northern California that is dedicated to helping change lives by providing a safe place for children to heal in a culture of love, acceptance, and consistency.