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Jaime and Dan have been parents for decades. Together, they have four children, Claytin (16), Skylor (19), Dustin (23), and Micheal (30). As their children got older, they knew that they had an opportunity to change the lives of other children in their community. They had space in their home and hearts, and lots of love to give, and becoming foster care caregivers in their Cincinnati community was something they thought was the best way to share that love.  

Family grounds them, and they believe deeply that their family and their faith are the most important pieces in their life, and with care and love for both of these pieces, everything else will fall into place.  

We feel that all children need a place to feel loved, safe and wanted,” explains Dan. “We wanted to open our home to them.” So, they set out on their journey to become foster parents. 

Changing Lives with Support from The Buckeye Ranch 

As they began their foster care journey, they started calling around the state of Ohio to find an agency that would work best for them. 

“The Buckeye Ranch was highly recommended. With our other kiddos, we are busy sports parents so we knew carving out time for training would be a challenge for us,” shares Jaime. “After doing some research and talking with the Foster Care team at The Buckeye Ranch, we learned that we’d have access to 24/7 support and online training. Ultimately, this allowed us to become foster parents while still managing our day-to-day.” 

Flash forward to today, and Jaime and Dan have been foster parents for over two years now. Their journey as foster parents has come with challenges, but the reward far outweighs any hurdles.  

There are so many special moments as a foster parent because you have the opportunity to provide youth in your home the chance to do new things, like going to the beach. The smiles on their faces when they do are priceless,” reflects Jaime. “Knowing that we are giving the happy memories and letting them be kids and not stress about adult life changes your life, too.” 

And, Jaime and Dan know that when they have challenges, they don’t have to navigate them alone. The Buckeye Ranch’s Foster Care team is alongside them in this new venture to support them every step of the way. 

“Our case manager at The Buckeye Ranch is amazing,” shares Jaime. “She is there for us any time we need to just talk through issues or find answers to questions. We couldn’t do this without her in our corner.” 

Opening Your Home and Your Heart to Foster Care

In their two years as foster parents, Jaime and Dan have provided care for several children, including providing a youth with short-term care, as well as offering a safe place to land for two sibling groups. 

Foster care is about giving children a safe, loving and caring place to call home when everything else around them is crazy,” Jaime explains. “People should consider opening their home to children because one person could change a child’s life for the better.” 

For Jaime and Dan, having an ongoing relationship with a foster child’s biological family when safe is very important to them. 

“As a foster parent, you have a responsibility to do what is best for the child in your care and to not judge others for mistakes they have made. We all make mistakes and learn lessons through life. We try to embody that for youth in our care and their biological parents,” reflects Jaime. “Having a relationship with their biological parents both helps kids understand their backgrounds and makes sure that the child can be in your life forever. For youth we’ve cared for who have been reunited with their families, we celebrate still getting to be a support for them. We still talk to many of the parents, see the children regularly, and are sometimes even invited to birthday parties!” 

Opening their hearts and home to the whole child and their family for every youth that walks into their lives has helped each of them thrive while in their home and long-term thereafter.  

From Foster Care to a Permanent Place to Call Home in Cincinnati

In May of 2024, Dan and Jaime were provided with the chance to provide a permanent home for one of the youth in their care. Though they support reunification whenever possible, they decided to be a permanent place to call home for Sammy, a beautiful three-year-old boy who came to them earlier this year.  

When Sammy arrived at their home, he was very shy and timid. Jaime and Dan, alongside their son Claytin, continued to show up to support him every day. “Our approach with youth is to find the reason for what is going on. Our family spent a lot of quality time with Sammy to build trust with him,” shares Jaime.  

Over time, Sammy began to trust their family and open up. “Everyone has a story, and if you take the time to understand their lived experience, you can help them overcome the trauma they’ve experienced,” explains Jamie. “Once you’re able to have a better sense of their needs from that quality time, you can then find the best ways to help them grow.”

And grow Sammy has! Today, he loves spending time with his family, especially swimming with his big brother Claytin, and has developed a love for animals, including farm animals and the family’s dog, Chubbs.

He also loves observing growth, finding wonder and joy in helping Jaime make sure the house plants are thriving, too! 

Love Makes a Family 

On December 5, 2024, Jaime and Dan’s home became a forever home for Sammy when they officially adopted him. 

Family is very important and you don’t have to be blood related to be family to us,” shares Jaime. “We teach our kids that hard work pays off and that your dream can come true if you just believe in yourself. Positive encouragement goes a long way with children.”

With the family’s encouragement, Sammy continues to thrive and has a bright future ahead. He will be getting ready to start school in the coming years, is looking forward to the family’s beach vacation this coming summer, and hopefully a trip to universal to see some dinosaurs, a personal favorite of Sammy’s! 

“Sammy is doing amazing. I feel the sky’s the limits for our kiddos,” shares Dan. “The future for them is bright and we know they will do great things.” 

If you are interested in making a life-changing impact for youth, like Sammy, by becoming a foster parent, you can take the first step today on our website.