Posts by Marianna Litovich
Heath and Rachael: Enough love for seven
Rachael and her husband, Heath, already had children. But when their landlord brought up foster care, the two decided that fostering to adopt would be how they grew their family. After going through the required classes, Rachael and her husband were looking for a little girl under 2 years old to foster, and hopefully adopt.…
Read MoreBe Part of the Fabric of Our Community — Purchase a Quilt Square and Support AOK!
At our events you’ll likely find a table with blank cloth squares. As children arrive they are invited to color and create — making their own masterpiece. Coloring for a child is pure. They draw what they’re thinking, not worried about perfection. In their own way, stick figures and potato people can be beautiful. We…
Read MoreThe Magic of Coming Together
The forecast is for thunderstorms, gusty winds, and a chance of hail. Not ideal conditions for a summer gathering at a local park, to say the least. For any other party, most people would have stayed home. But this is no ordinary party. Because what happens when foster and adoptive families come together to…
Read MoreCreating My Village: The All Our Kids Story
When I became a foster parent in 2008, I assumed I was going to enter a strong community of connected foster parents who live the “It Takes a Village” mantra. I had a vision of getting together with other foster and adoptive families on a regular basis, watching their kids grow up or move on,…
Read MoreA Letter To My (foster) Baby
To My Sweet Little Boy, The world got a little brighter sixteen months ago today. Because that was the day you were born. When I brought you home from the hospital at eight days old, I prepared for your quick departure. “Short term,” they said. I planned to love you for a couple of weeks,…
Read MoreRecruit + Respect = Retain
As the foster care system in our state and around the country becomes increasingly overburdened, our DCF system has invested significant effort in recruitment of new foster parents. For example, each area office now has its own social worker specifically focused on recruitment: they do outreach in the community, they answer questions from interested…
Read MoreEp. 7: Meet Our Families — Amanda
Back to AOK Podcasts Click here to subscribe to our podcast Meet Amanda Imagine having over 150 children come through your home in less than ten years. Local single foster and adoptive mom, Amanda, shares her heartwarming story with Marianna.
Read MoreEp. 6: Meet Our Families — Marty Blair
Back to AOK Podcasts Click here to subscribe to our podcast Meet Marty Blair Before she became a foster parent, Marty Blair was a local police officer who saw too many children in need. Marty shares her story as a foster parent, adoptive parent, and family resource liaison.
Read MoreEp. 5: A Visit With Birth Mom
Back to AOK Podcasts Click here to subscribe to our podcast A Visit With Birth Mom Marianna talks about her relationship with her kids’ birth mom, and what a recent family visit with her was like.
Read MoreEp. 4: Adopting Through Foster Care
Back to AOK Podcasts Click here to subscribe to our podcast Adopting a Child Through Foster Care Adoptive parents, Kyle and Marianna, discuss why adoption through foster care was right for their families, and how to consider whether it might be right for yours.
Read More