Finding Community within Fostering Family Hope

By Peter and Rachel Lorinser

In the early stages of our foster care journey, we quickly realized that we would need a community to lean on for support. My wife and I became licensed foster parents in June 2019, and just a few short, blurry months later, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted our world—halting any momentum we had gained in building a supportive community around us. Then, sometime in 2021, we heard about an emerging nonprofit organization that was gathering foster parents for informal meetups. We made the trip to the Waterford Library and met with a handful of families in the basement of a library. Instantly, it was comforting to connect with others who understood the world we were all navigating together—sharing conversations over juice boxes, holding babies who had just come into care, and discussing both the challenges and heartwarming moments we were experiencing.

From that moment, we knew that staying connected to other foster families would be essential for us to maintain.

As a family, we’ve been privileged to collaborate with Fostering Family Hope as community group leaders, creating spaces for foster and adoptive families to connect. Our foster care support group, established in 2023, includes a diverse mix of current and former foster and adoptive families. We strive to gather monthly for events and maintain regular communication through shared text and email chains.

Simply knowing that other families are navigating the same foster care system has been a source of encouragement. Witnessing our children build connections with one another has been especially uplifting. As foster parents, it’s easy to feel isolated while grappling with the unique challenges of the system and the children in our care. Whether it's managing visitations or attending appointments that require the presence of the Department of Children and Families (DCF), having a community of peers walking this journey alongside us has been invaluable.

The truth is, the constant state of unknowns and the unique circumstances we face can sometimes feel overwhelming. Yet, through this supportive network, we find strength, reassurance, and a shared understanding that makes all the difference.

Bringing families together as a source of support for one another is just one important aspect of Fostering Family Hope. Fostering Family Hope emerged out of an idea to help foster children in practical ways. At the heart of Fostering Family Hope is a simple but powerful belief: families are stronger together. Bringing families together as a source of support for one another is just one of the many ways FFH is making a difference. What began as a humble foster closet—offering essential items to children in care—quickly grew into something more. The vision expanded into the Fostering Family Initiative, a program focused on creating welcoming, nurturing visitation spaces to help strengthen bonds between children and their families.

Founded in 2021, Fostering Family Hope has become a vital resource for the foster care community. Built on compassion, community involvement, and the generosity of both physical and financial donations, FFH exists to meet the often overlooked needs of foster children and their families. It's not just about meeting needs—it's about building community, one connection at a time.

This journey – our foster care journey – is not an easy one, and it has been far more complicated than we could have anticipated or planned for. Yet, we remain thankful for organizations like Fostering Family Hope, and the leadership of Megan and Erin for taking on so much to serve families that have chosen to commit their life, and family to serving others. 

On Thursday, September 25th, 2025, from 5:30 PM - 9:00 PM at Nuzzo’s Farm (736 E Main St, Branford, CT 06405) Fostering Family Hope is hosting their first Annual Benefit Dinner & Fashion Show - an evening dedicated to celebrating community, fashion, and the important impact on foster care that we have made together to create brighter futures for children in Connecticut's foster care system. Every registration to this event will bring us closer to achieving our mission. Together, we can create a brighter, more compassionate world for all. When you join us this September, you'll enjoy a beautiful evening on the farm with a four course harvest dinner by Chef Stephen Stellato,  an incredible line-up of designer fashions, marvelous raffles, and powerful stories, all while directly impacting the lives of children & families touched by foster care throughout Connecticut. We hope to see many of you there!

Peter and Rachel are foster and adoptive parents in southeastern Connecticut. Peter serves as the Secretary on the Board of Fostering Family Hope.