2023 BFFs

Savannah, GA
June 17, 2023

Emily & Jesse Cole – We are proud to honor our first Bananas Foster feature foster family. The two people we are going to honor became foster parents five years ago, and they decided to open up their home for kids, no matter the age, the background, or the circumstances. Today, they have nine children in their home, from age five months to 17 years, six in foster care, and now they’ve adopted three children as well. So, fans, please join me in a huge round of applause for Jim and Iris Gandy.

Click here to watch their celebration.

Click here to read the full story of their celebration. 

Indianapolis, IN
June 29, 2023

Emily Cole – We are truly honored to celebrate an incredible human. Sarah Michaels is a registered nurse at a local Indianapolis Children’s Hospital, and from early on in her career, she saw the need to help kids in care. So at 22, she became a registered licensed foster family, and she has welcomed over 30 children into her home. Today, Sarah has six kids in her home, ranging from ages one to 16. Please stand and help me give this wonderful woman a round of applause for everything she does for this community.

Click here to watch her celebration.

Click here to read the full story of her celebration.

Indianapolis, IN
June 30, 2023

Emily Cole – This family started their fostering journey by taking in emergency placements, which basically means they’re the ones answering the call after hours on the weekends and in the middle of the night. They’ve taken in over 35 children this way.

Akron, OH
July 2, 2023

Emily Cole – We have the honor of celebrating the Baker-Ferkan family. JT is a military veteran and now a local social worker, and he knew he wanted to do something to support the families in his community, so he and his wife Elizabeth got licensed to be an official foster care family last year and have already welcomed five children into their homes. Fans, please stand and help me recognize this amazing family who is doing things right here in your community.

Click here to watch their celebration.

Akron, OH
July 2, 2023

Emily Cole – We have the honor of celebrating the Tetreault Family. Ryan, Reagan, and their two biological children became a licensed foster family two years ago and have welcomed eight kids into their home. Seven of those kids have reunified with their biological family, and one sweet baby girl is still with them today. While the reunification process is really hard, that is the goal of foster care, and these superheroes walked alongside the biological families and the children and helped the reunification process happen. Fans, please stand and help us recognize these amazing people who are helping the families and the kids in your local community.

Kannapolis, NC
July 11, 2023

Emily Cole – We have the honor of celebrating the Begley Family. They accepted their first placement just two hours after receiving their license, which just proves the dire need that we have in this North Carolina community for more foster families. Currently, they’re parenting eight children. Fans, please help me recognize these superheroes who are right here in your community helping families and children in need.

Click here to watch their celebration.

Kannapolis, NC
July 12, 2023

Emily Cole – We have the honor of celebrating the Hibbs Family. Since receiving their license 6.5 years ago, they’ve brought kids into their home from five days old to 19 years old. In total, they have brought in 56 children and are currently parenting seven. Fans, please stand and help us recognize Shonda and Mike Hibbs for all that they’re doing for the kids and families in our community.

Durham, NC
July 14, 2023

Emily Cole – We have the honor of celebrating the Wessel Family. Tracy is a teacher, so you already know she’s a superhero. She had a kid come to her classroom who was in foster care, and she knew that they needed to do something to make a difference, so her family has now been licensed for over five years, and they had 25 children in their home. Fans, please stand and help us celebrate this amazing family for all that they’re doing for children and families.

Durham, NC
July 15, 2023

Emily Cole – We are honored to celebrate the Teague Family. The Teagues have been licensed for nine years and have welcomed 40 children into their home. In the foster care system, when you turn 18, you age out, and the limited resources that have been available to you are no longer available. 65% of teens who age out of foster care do not have somewhere to call home after their 18th birthday. The Teague’s current placement turned 18 last week, and therefore, has aged out of foster care, but on his birthday, this family presented him with official adoption paperwork. Bananas Foster is all about bringing families together, so fans, please stand and help us recognize the newest member of the Teague Family.

Click here to watch their celebration.

Click here to read their story. 

Fresno, CA
July 27, 2023

Emily Cole – We have the honor of celebrating the Trigueros Family. One of the hardest things in foster care is when siblings are split up, but often they are sent to separate homes, sometimes across the state from one another. This family advocates for siblings to be kept together and often takes in placements with many children in order to do so. Their last placement was five siblings who they just helped successfully reunify with their biological family, which is always the first priority with foster care. Over the last five years, while being licensed, William and Joel have brought 20 children into their home and have adopted three siblings from foster care and are in the process of adopting their baby brother so that the four siblings can stay together. Fans, please stand and help us recognize this amazing family for all that they do for the kids right here in this community and their families.

Click here to watch their celebration.

Sacramento, CA
July 29, 2023

Emily Cole – Tonight, we are celebrating the Elder Family. Chelsea and Charles have been a licensed foster family for the last five years. In addition to their own biological children, they have adopted siblings who were in their care for nearly three years. In foster care, it is difficult to find a home that has the ability to accept siblings, and therefore, siblings are often placed separately in different homes. In five years, the Elder Family has provided a home to 17 children, many of whom were siblings.

Savannah, GA
August 3, 2023

Emily Cole – We have the honor of celebrating the Ford Family. Katie Ford’s family has a long history of fostering and adopting, so she always knew that she wanted to make a difference. Katie has been a single foster mom for five years and has welcomed 37 children into her home.

Click here to watch their celebration.

Savannah, GA
August 4, 2023

Jolie Chabala – Tonight, we are celebrating Latoya Samuels. After hearing about the need for more foster families, she decided to make a difference, and in 2019, she became a single foster mom. Her first placement was a six-year-old boy whose parental rights were already terminated and available for adoption. After she went through the adoption process, she gave her son a forever home. Now as an advocate for the foster care community, she is a CASA (a court-appointed special advocate) that advocates for children and teens right here in Savannah.

Savannah, GA
August 5, 2023

Jolie Chabala – Tonight, we have the honor of celebrating the Seaman Family. Courtney was inspired to make a difference, and Trey is a real-life superhero and local firefighter. On call, he saw firsthand the impact of the foster care community, and the two together became a licensed foster family in 2020. Since then, they’ve had two long-term placements — one who is still in care and another who’s been adopted into their family.

Des Moines, IA
August 25, 2023

Jolie Chabala – We have the honor of celebrating the Hartwig Family. Jennifer and David have been a licensed family for six years. In that time frame, they have welcomed 75 children into their home and have adopted four into their family. Now, as advocates of the foster care community, they help with the state licensing program and mentor new foster families right here in Iowa.

Click here to watch their celebration.

Des Moines, IA
August 26, 2023

Jolie Chabala – Jolie Danyiwo became a foster mom in 1999 when her two nieces were placed in foster care. She was their kinship placement, and two years later, she adopted them into her family. She met her husband in 2006 and stopped her foster care journey, but in 2016, the two became a licensed family and have since welcomed 24 children and teens into their home.

Savannah, GA
August 31, 2023

Emily Cole – Tonight, we have the honor of celebrating the Gwinnett Family. Jenna and John became licensed in 2016, and the day they received their license, they got their first placement, which shows how dire the need is for more foster families. Since then, they’ve welcomed 15 amazing kids into their home, 10 of whom they have successfully reunified with their biological family and five whom they’ve adopted into their amazing family.

Savannah, GA
September 1, 2023

Emily Cole – We have the honor of celebrating the Newman Family. Ashley and Jacob recently learned about the dire need for more foster families right here in our community and became a licensed foster family. They also learned that it’s extremely difficult to keep siblings together when they’re brought into care. Ashley and Jacob now have their first placement, a little brother and sister, and we are so honored to celebrate them tonight. So, fans, please stand and help us recognize this amazing family for what they’re doing right here in our community.

Savannah, GA
September 2, 2023

Emily Cole – We have the honor of celebrating the Allen Family. Cece and Robbie were licensed for two years and welcomed eight children into their home. The goal with foster care is always reunification, and they were able to successfully reunify most of those kids. Their last placement they got at five months old, and after two years of being with him, successfully adopted him and welcomed him into their family permanently. Fans, please stand and help us recognize this amazing family for everything they’re doing right here in our community for kids and families.

Savannah, GA
September 4, 2023

Emily Cole – Sarah and her husband have been fostering for eight years. Along with their two biological children, they have welcomed 14 children into their home. Currently, they have three children in care who have been with them for the last five years. When they started fostering, they knew the goal was reunification and never expected to adopt, but in August, they just finalized the adoption for one of their children in care.

Milwaukee, WI
September 8, 2023

Emily Cole – DaNisha and Lavelle have been foster parents for two years, and they are currently parenting four children under the age of four. This family is such a great example of keeping siblings together because often, as soon as you’re brought into care, you’re separated from your siblings. They’re also huge advocates of continuing a relationship with the birth family and letting them know about all of life’s milestones. This family has already welcomed 11 children into their home, and I know that they will continue to make a difference right here in this community.

Milwaukee, WI
September 9, 2023

Emily Cole – We have the honor of celebrating the Landherr family. Vicki and Jen became licensed foster parents last year and went from having no kids in their home to a sibling set of three overnight. They cared for these kids, and over 18 months, worked really closely with their birth mom, and I’m happy to announce they were able to successfully reunify the kids with their biological family. Seeing the importance of keeping siblings together, they just welcomed another sibling set of three, and I’m confident this family will continue to support families in this community for a long time. So, fans, please stand and help us recognize this amazing family for everything they’re doing for kids in your community.

Milwaukee, WI
September 9, 2023

Emily Cole – We have the honor of celebrating Seline and Henry. Seline and Henry accept sibling placements all the time and are always advocating to keep biological parents involved in the picture. They have had 10 long-term placements, and they have been doing this since 2012.

Syracuse, NY
September 14, 2023

Emily Cole – We have the honor of celebrating the Owens Family. Brandon and Elena have been a licensed foster family for 15 years and in that time have welcomed over 30 children into their home. Currently, these superheroes are parenting nine kids.

Cooperstown, NY
September 16, 2023

Emily Cole – We have the honor of celebrating the Haig Family. Amanda and Nathan have been a licensed foster family since 2014. After five years in care, they were able to adopt their 16-year-old son, and in total, they have welcomed 35 children into their home. Fans, please stand and help us recognize this amazing family for everything they’re doing right here in your community.