We had the opportunity to sit down with two former foster youth who grew up together in a group home, Jimmy Cisneros and Jacob Mendez. Jimmy and Jacob share about their foster care experiences and the commitment they had to break the cycle that existed within each of their own families. Jimmy and Jacob believe that changing foster care can change the world.

We are then joined by Jedd Medefind, the President of the Christian Alliance for Orphans and the Author of Becoming Home. Jedd dives deeper into this idea of how changing the outcomes of foster care would have a profound impact on so many other areas of society from child trafficking to homelessness to incarceration. He discusses some of the statistics and the implications for the Church as it thinks about these issues.

Download the free companion PDF to this series“Seven Insights about Foster Care from Those Who’ve Been There”–and share these types of insights with others in your community!

Key Quote

“I’ve always really felt that we literally can change the world if we can just change that small population of foster kids. If we can focus on them, making sure that they’re successful and being stable and breaking the cycle, then just that little bit right there can change the world.”

Jimmy Cisneros

Former Foster Youth

Resources and Guests

Gain insight about caring for children and families by downloading a free PDF with principles featuring thoughts from guests of the Foster Movement Podcast. Explore the resource for yourself—and share it with others in your community, too.

Jimmy Cisneros entered foster care at age 8 and his mom passed away when he was 10. After moving between family members and foster care placements, he landed at a group home called Boysville. Committed to breaking the cycle his family had been caught in, he graduated high school and went on to college. Jimmy is now an accountant, volunteers with an organization that mentors former foster youth, and coaches a youth basketball team. Jimmy lives in San Antonio, Texas.

The Thru Project, San Antonio, TX

Jacob Mendez spent 15 years in the foster care system. Upon graduation from high school, he went on to attend community college. Jacob is now married and living in Texas.

Jedd Medefind loves journeying life with his wife, Rachel.  He relishes wrestling matches with his five children—Siena, Marin, Eden, Lincoln, and Phoebe.  Most of all, he desires to reflect the heart of Jesus Christ in all of life.

Jedd has seen (and experienced!) that lives are turned upside-down when Christians begin to reflect God’s heart through adoption, foster care and service to orphans worldwide.  This kind of love transforms not only vulnerable children, but also those who open hearts and homes to them.  Churches begin to look different, too, as the entire community pulls together for children who’ve known great hurt.  Finally, the change touches even onlookers, who encounter the Gospel not only in words, but made visible before their eyes.

Desiring to spur this kind of transformation through the Church, Jedd serves as President of the Christian Alliance for Orphans.

Through CAFO, more than 225 respected organizations unite in shared initiatives, along with a wide network of churches.  CAFO’s membership works in tandem to inspire and equip families, churches and organizations for effective service to vulnerable children and families — from adoption and US foster care, to aid and empowerment programs worldwide.

Prior to his this role, Jedd served in the White House as a Special Assistant to President George W. Bush, leading the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.   In this post, he oversaw reform efforts across the government to make community- and faith-based groups central partners in all Federal efforts to aid the needy, from prisoner reentry to global AIDS.  As described by the Harvard Political Review, these reforms “fundamentally changed the government’s strategy for improving the lives of the downtrodden…”

Previously, Jedd held a range of posts in the California State Legislature.  He also helped establish the California Community Renewal Project, which strengthens nonprofits in some of the state’s most challenged communities.  He has worked, studied and served in more than thirty countries, with organizations ranging from Price-Waterhouse in Moscow to Christian Life Bangladesh.

Books written by Jedd include Upended and Four Souls.  He also writes articles and op-eds for publications ranging from the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post to Comment Magazine, and engages radio interviews with both faith-based and mainstream outlets, from NPR and Al Jazeera to Moody Radio.  Jedd’s most recent book, Becoming Home, offers a brief-yet-rich exploration of how families and communities can embrace vulnerable children with wisdom and love through adoption, foster care, mentoring and more.

Jason Weber and his wife, Trisha, have been speaking up on behalf of the marginalized for over 25 years. Jason has written and helped to produce several books and other tools, including Farmer Herman and the Flooding Barn, a 2018 ECPA Christian Book Award finalist and Until There’s More Than Enough. Jason has been  a regular columnist for Fostering Families Today magazine and is the host of the More Than Enough Podcast, which highlights the work of national foster care advocates. Jason serves with the Christian Alliance for Orphans and helps lead More Than Enough, a collaborative movement facilitated by the CAFO community. Jason and his family live in Plano, Texas.

Most teenagers remember the day they got their license, or their sweet 16, or even prom night. For Diego the most prominent day he remembers is In 2002, when he showed up on Bishop Aaron Blake’s steps. Blake stopped Diego at the door and told him to lose any foster care mentality that he has. “You are not a foster child; you are ‘Engrafted’ into my family.” Diego, now a national recording artist, released his second studio album titled “ENGRAFTED” in 2014! Diego is the founder & president of B.I.G Records & Foundation. He and his “Pops,” Bishop Aaron Blake have joined forces and travel the country empowering the local church to create a culture of families prepared to accept the calling of orphan care. Diego lives with his family in the Dallas area.

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