"I just wanted to take a minute and say a huge THANK YOU for coming each and every month to spend time with my four children. They love it and consistently have a blast. This last weekend, your time spent volunteering with my kids meant that my husband and I could get a much needed break and go out to dinner, take a walk and grab a cup of coffee. We were able to cover some topics we had been waiting to talk about for this sacred time of four straight hours. We walked back in, four hours later, feeling refreshed and ready to jump back into parenting with full speed ahead.

There are no words to describe what a gift this is to us and to our children! In fact, the only down side to FPNO is that it takes all of 24 hours before our four year old son starts asking when he can go back to FPNO and the long month countdown until the next FPNO begins anew. 

Thank you for what a life-giving ministry you are giving to our family."

“I just wanted to say thank you all for helping us. Thank you for being kind, loving, patient, giving and simply wonderful! Please don’t ever think your gifts of love have gone unnoticed, because they have not. Each and every one of you has given from the heart and it has and does make a difference! I wish you all knew our story and the impact you have made on our family. But there are many families and many stories, just know you are greatly appreciated and loved and not thanked enough. Not only are you helping our children, you are helping families, parents.

I never like the word foster kids or foster parents. They are children and we are parents and you help us be better parents. Your time has helped me rest when I’ve really needed it or go out to eat and helped me with quiet time to work on my studies. As graduating students at (her college) we can buy a medal to give to those who have helped us get through school or supported us or encouraged us. I got one for 3 of my instructors, my children’s principal and you - FPNO! Thank you! 

We love you and you mean a lot to our family. God bless you all!”

"We would like to send our love out to each of the volunteers that watch our many children on Foster Parents' Night Out. It's so hard to express our gratitude to each of you. We have provided care to DHS children for nearly thirty years we have raised three generations of children in our community many of our children are considered high risk and have some behavior issues. It's so hard to find and retain a babysitter that can pass a background check and meet the guidelines set by DHS.

When we do find a babysitter it's usually for one night and they do not return. The first night we took advantage of this offer, after dropping off the kids, we actually drove around for about half an hour without a clue as to WHAT to do. Suddenly we were alone ... we finally decided to try out a restaurant, a real restaurant! Not Chuck E. Cheese or McDonalds or Hometown Buffet.. Wow what an experience! We were once more alone together, talking about and having a conversation. We had decided not to discuss anything about the children or schools etc. This was much harder than we anticipated.

I guess what I'm trying to say is thank you, to all of you, for saving our sanity and giving us a few precious minutes of being alone together for a few hours. Your kindness is greatly appreciated. Thank you for such a wonderful gift. We will be back next month for a refreshing few hours to restore our sanity and relationship. All foster care providers should take advantage of this "night out" to refresh their spirits so we can provide loving care. Thanks again."