One Family Shares their Summer Hosting Experiences
Janel and Mike are true Kidsave veterans. The couple – along with their two kids and dog named Ranger – have been Summer Miracles hosts for seven years. As hosts, they’ve welcomed orphans from Colombia into their home for 3-5 weeks each summer or winter and worked diligently to help them find forever families. With this year’s Summer Miracles season just around the corner, I decided to sit down with them to learn more about their journey, the emotional ups and downs, and why they continue to host as advocates.
Helping kids in foster care was a passion of Janel’s for a long time, having worked as a social worker for years. “I used to be a social worker, and that’s what developed my heart for adoption,” says Janel. “I worked with foster kids in Los Angeles and Orange County, and we thought we’d become foster parents when we married.” However, the couple’s plans changed with time and life experience. Janel and Mike had two kids, a boy and a girl, and Janel’s work required immense emotional labor.
“After being a social worker for ten years, then becoming a school counselor, I was burnt out,” said Janel. Her compassion for kids in foster care never wavered, but she and Mike were now looking for a new way to make a difference.
It was during this time that Janel met another mom who was going through the hosting process. “I was fascinated by how she could play a vital role in kids getting adopted without herself adopting them.” Suddenly, Janel saw a new avenue to fulfill her lifelong dream. She eagerly told her husband when she got home, but they didn’t rush into hosting, as it was a big commitment.
“We talked about it off and on over the years; we both were quite ready but wanted to do thorough research,” says Janel. In 2017, they made the leap. “I saw an ad for hosting on a bus bench, we made the call, and were referred to Kidsave because of our interest in hosting Colombian orphans.” The family has since enjoyed years of rewarding – and challenging – experiences helping kids in our Summer Miracles program find forever families.
Mike and Janel said their whole family has been on board for hosting from the beginning. “Our kids were always excited about it, they were three and seven when we first hosted, and now they’re nine and thirteen,” says Mike. “Our three-year-old just went along with whatever, and our seven-year-old at the time was excited.”
Today, nothing has changed. Both kids are now thoroughly familiar with the hosting process, although they deal with some sadness at the end of the five-week stay. “Our daughter has gotten into the time in her life where it’s really painful every time they leave,” says Janel. “It’s part of the cycle.”
