Family & Children Services

11/28/2025

Each year, more than 2,000 youth in Michigan await permanent, loving families.

November is National Adoption Awareness Month, and as we close this month out, we hope you will consider giving a child a safe home. For more information, visit our website at https://fcsource.org/be-a-foster-parent/.

11/27/2025

Happy Thanksgiving!

Our offices are closed today and tomorrow to allow staff time with family and friends. We look forward to serving you on Monday.

11/22/2025

This Wednesday, we hosted our annual Friendsgiving for staff. If there are two things that are true of the staff at Family & Children’s Services they are this; they are the hardest working people out there, and they are extraordinary chefs!

Thank you so much to all who took the time to join us and to those who brought an item to share.

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we want to share a bit of gratitude for our staff who continue to serve our community in truly profound ways. Thank you, thank you for all you do!

(Interested in joining our team? Click here to learn more: https://fcsource.org/careers/

11/21/2025

Our good friends at Western Michigan’s chapter of Alpha Xi Delta spent another Saturday preparing for our Holiday Giving program!

While half the women decorated the gym into the winter wonderland it will be for clients and donors alike, the other half wrapped gifts for a few of our larger families that were sponsored by cash donations!

We continue to be so humbled by the generosity of spirit in these women who make volunteering fun and impactful. Thank you so much, ladies!

If you would like to become a little elf yourself and volunteer your time and talents this holiday season, contact Heather Videto at heather.videto@fcsource.org. If you would like to purchase items for one of our client families, donate money to help sponsor a family, or donate new items to our holiday store, contact Tesi Klipsch at tesi.klipsch@fcsource.org.

Learn more about our Holiday Giving program here: https://fcsource.org/support-us/holiday-giving-program/

11/15/2025

Recently, we launched an awareness campaign centered on one powerful truth: Hope is contagious.

Research shows that hope isn’t just a feeling, it’s a force. Higher levels of hope are linked to improved coping, well-being, and healthy behaviors. Among teens, it’s connected to self-esteem, a sense of purpose, and protection against depression and su***de. Hope is essential for resilience and it’s vital for healing.

Our annual HANDLE WITH CARE campaign has now begun, which is where we invite you to join us in providing immediate needs and direct services for people in our care when there are no other resources in our community.

When you give to our HANDLE WITH CARE campaign, you don’t just provide resources, you provide hope. And hope spreads. It ripples through families, into neighborhoods, and across entire communities.

Right now, you have an opportunity to spark that ripple effect.

If you’re able to join us, email courtenay.vandermolen@fcsource.org or visit our website to learn more: https://fcsource.org/support-us/handle-with-care-fund/

11/14/2025

November is National Adoption Awareness Month. Tesi Klipsch, Marketing & Communication Manager for Family & Children Services and adoptive mom is celebrating all the ways adoption has made her life so full.

“Adopting 3 of our sons has been one of the most profound blessings of our lives. Getting to watch them grow and flourish into young men that would make their ancestors proud, and who make us proud on the daily, is a true gift. I still remember all the fears and anxieties we had about adoption before adopting and virtually none of them came to fruition. The hard moments were similar to the hard moments we face as parents of our biological children, too. The joys the same as well. Parenting is parenting, as it turns out, no matter how your babies come to you.

Having been foster and adoptive parents, my husband and I will tell you that if you have any interest at all, do it. The only regret I have is that we didn’t do it sooner.”

If you have questions about foster care or adoption, contact our team at fostercareinquiry@fcsource.org or visit our website to fill out our inquiry form: https://fcsource.org/inquiry-form/

11/05/2025

Watch as CEO Diane Marquess talks about the ripple effect that cuts to programs like SNAP can have on foster children and the people who care for them. https://wwmt.com/news/state/snap-pause-foster-children-impact-michigan-families-kids-services-kalamazoo-benefits-government-shutdown-diane-marquess-wwmt

Diane Marquess, CEO of Family and Children Services, has worked in child and family welfare for more than 30 years. She says the pause on SNAP benefits could discourage potential foster parents from stepping forward. https://bit.ly/4nLWYNL

11/02/2025

We have officially started our 2025 Holiday Giving program where we match donors like you with clients of Family & Children Services to deliver hope this holiday season!

If you are interested in sponsoring a foster child or family, or want to donate items or money that will go towards making this season bright, email tesi.klipsch@fcsource.org or visit our website to learn more and sign up. https://fcsource.org/support-us/holiday-giving-program/

11/01/2025

Our annual Trunk-or-Treat was another hit with our clients and families this year!

We are thrilled to provide a safe place for children and families to experience the joy and wonder of childhood together. Participating in activities like this, strengthens families and helps us live out our mission.

Thank you to all staff, partner groups, Target, and the extraordinary women of Western Michigan’s chapter of Alpha Xi Delta for bringing so many trunks!

10/24/2025

Our Wellness and Engagement Committee invites you to take part in a frightfully good deed. This Halloween, roll up your sleeve and help save lives—it’s the kind of “spirit” we like to see!

Just one donation can save up to three lives, giving hope to patients in need. Together, we can make this Halloween a little less scary for those who depend on blood donations!

On Thursday, October 30, 2025, from 11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Family & Children Services will be hosting a blood drive at our Kalamazoo location. We would love for you to join us! Click here to sign up for a time that works best for you: https://bit.ly/47IcBQv

10/22/2025

Watch this powerful story of Tez Johnson and his adoptive family to witness the power of hope that ripples through entire families and communities.

If you're interested in becoming part of someone else's story in this way, visit our website: https://fcsource.org/be-a-foster-parent/ or email fostercareinquiry@fcsource.org.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM0uUFyKvYc

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10/18/2025

If you are having a hard time coping with stress or anxiety, or if you find they are interfering with your every day life, call our counseling center to get extra support at 269.344.0202 or email outpatient@fcsource.org.

*infograph from The National Institute of Mental Health