2024 BFFs

Tampa, FL
February 8, 2024

Emily Cole – Tonight, we are celebrating the Campbell Family. The Campbells have been licensed since 2009 and have welcomed 49 children into their home. They are currently parenting eight children, so fans, please help us celebrate the Bananas Foster Family of the night for everything they do in this community.

Click here to watch their celebration.

Click here to read the full story of their celebration.

Tampa, FL
February 9, 2024

Emily Cole – Tonight, we are celebrating the Queen Family. The Queens have been licensed since 2008. In total, they have welcomed 60 children into their home.

Tampa, FL
February 10, 2024

Emily Cole – Today, we are celebrating the Holness Family, who have been licensed for four years. Their most recent placement was with them for over a year, and I’m proud to say that they walked alongside the biological family and were able to successfully reunify their placement with their biological mom. That is the point of foster care, so fans, please help us celebrate this family — the Bananas Foster Family of the day — for all that they do in this community.

Peoria, AZ
February 15, 2024

Emily Cole – Tonight, we are celebrating the Chichester Family. This family has been a licensed foster family since 2019. In that time, they have welcomed 26 children and teens into their home and officially adopted two into their family.

Peoria, AZ
February 16, 2024

Emily Cole – Tonight, we are celebrating the Hernandez Family. They have been a licensed foster family for one year, and in just one year, have welcomed five children and teens into their home.

Peoria, AZ
February 17, 2024

Emily Cole – Tonight, we are celebrating the Ball Family. This family has been licensed for two years and welcomed four children into their home. Along with their biological children, they are currently parenting eight children and teens.

Savannah, GA
February 23, 2024

Emily Cole – Tonight, we are celebrating the Hill Family. The Hills have been licensed for 12 years and have welcomed 39 children into their home.

Jacksonville, FL
March 2, 2024

Jolie Chabala – Tonight, we are celebrating Lori Chapman. Lori has been a foster parent for over 20 years and has adopted a total of nine children from foster care. Lori served as a respite care provider and accepted emergency placements so that every child would have a home to stay in when entering care. In total, her family has welcomed over 80 children and teens into her home.

Click here to watch her celebration.

Jacksonville, FL
March 3, 2024

Jolie Chabala – Tonight, we are celebrating the Jones Family. Both parents work in the education system, saw the need, and became licensed in 2020. They have welcomed children ranging from six months to teenagers. In total, they have already welcomed 20 children into their home in just a few years!

Jacksonville, FL
March 4, 2024

Jolie Chabala – Today, we are celebrating the Griffith Family. Jessica and Chelsea became a licensed foster family in 2021. In foster care, 65% of children will be separated from their siblings and placed in separate homes. Once Jessica and Chelsea learned that their first placement was separated from their siblings, they advocated to keep them under the same roof in their home. Currently, they are parenting four children!

Click here to watch their celebration.

Houston, TX – Minute Maid Park – Home of the Houston Astros
March 9, 2024

Emily Cole – Across the United States, there are over 400,000 children and teens in foster care without a permanent home. That’s enough to fill Minute Maid park 10 times with children in care. Tonight, Bananas Foster is celebrating two incredible families. Daniela and her husband became a licensed foster family in 2016, and they are currently parenting six children, but Daniela’s journey really started years before that. Daniela was inspired by the legacy her parents made in the foster care community. Her parents were licensed for 10 years and welcomed 13 children into their home.

Click here to watch their celebration.

Click here to learn more about their story.

Baton Rouge, LA
March 14, 2024

Emily Cole – Tonight, we are celebrating the Law Family. Amanda and William have been licensed in Louisiana for over 14 years. Amanda serves not only as a foster parent but as a volunteer CASA and advocates for children and teens in their case. In total, this family has welcomed over 30 children into their home.

Click here to watch their celebration.

Baton Rouge, LA
March 15, 2024

Emily Cole – Tonight, we are celebrating Tony Pryer. As a single father, Tony has been a licensed foster parent for 17 years. Each year, 20,000 teens will age out of foster care without a permanent family. While licensed, Tony welcomed 11 children and teens into his home and officially adopted three teenage boys from the foster care system. While living with Tony, he ensured these boys would graduate high school. Because of helping those in need in the foster care system, Tony became a father and now a grandfather.

Baton Rouge, LA
March 16, 2024

Emily Cole – Tonight, we are celebrating Mikey Doucet. Mikey and his brother Sam were placed into foster care at the age of eight after a childhood of abuse, neglect, and trauma. Separated from his brother, he spent years going home to home until he aged out of care at 18 with no support, no home, and no family. Only half of the teens who age out of foster care will graduate high school, and only 3% will obtain a college degree, but Mikey graduated high school and got a scholarship to college. Tonight, Mikey and his brother are here at their VERY FIRST baseball game with one another and Bananas Foster is about bringing families together.

Gwinnett, GA
March 22, 2024

Emily Cole –Today, we are celebrating the PEEL Family! Yes, like Banana Peel, but we are celebrating them for more than their awesome last name. The Peels have been licensed for 14 years and have welcomed children from babies to 18 years old. In total, they have welcomed over 60 children into their home.

Gwinnett, GA
March 23, 2024

Emily Cole – Tonight, we are celebrating the Beecher Family. The Beechers have been licensed for four years and have welcomed eight kiddos into their home. The main goal of foster care is reunification with biological family. Throughout the Beechers journey, not only did they keep siblings together while in their care, but they were able to successfully reunify four children with biological family.

Gwinnett, GA
March 24, 2024

Emily Cole – Today, we are celebrating the Hunter Family. The Hunters were motivated to foster because of the positive impact it makes on children in care. This family has been licensed for 10 years and welcomed 15 children and teens into their home.

Savannah, GA
March 28, 2024

Jolie Chabala – Tonight, we are celebrating the Roddenberry Family. This family has been licensed for nine years. Through the many children that have come into their home, many have been reunified with biological family, and in total, they have welcomed 55 children and teens into their home.

Savannah, GA
March 29, 2024

Jolie Chabala – Tonight, Bananas Foster is celebrating the Garner Family. The Garners have been a licensed foster family since 2008 and have welcomed 20 children and teens into their home. A sad fact in foster care is that about 75% of sibling groups end up separated and living apart after they enter care. The Garners have been able to support keeping siblings together and actually adopted four siblings from foster care to keep them together.

Savannah, GA
March 30, 2024

Emily Cole – Tonight, we are celebrating the Allen Family. The Allens have been licensed since 2021 and specialize in emergency placements. These are the calls that come in the middle of the night, over our relaxing weekends, and over holiday breaks. They have welcomed kids in these cirumstances for the last three years and have welcomed 10 children into their family this way.

Savannah, GA
April 5, 2024

Jolie Chabala – Tonight, we are celebrating Kelly Middleton. Kelly has been a single foster mom for a total of 16 years and has welcomed 100 children and teens into her home.

Click Here to watch the celebration.

Savannah, GA
April 6, 2024

Jolie Chabala – Tonight, we are celebrating the Crouch Family. The Crouch Family has been a licensed foster family since 2021. Along with their four biological children, they welcomed a sibling group of three toddlers.

Durham, NC
April 12, 2024

Emily Cole – Tonight, we are celebrating the Hackney Family who have been licensed since 2021. Laura is a huge advocate for foster parenting on social media and shares daily “behind the scenes,” which helps others learn about the ins and outs of the foster care world. They have welcomed six children into their home over the last three years, and I know they will continue to impact here in this community.

Durham, NC
April 13, 2024

Emily Cole – Tonight, we are celebrating Jennifer Hall. Jennifer started her foster care journey as a Child Protective Services worker. Once she found out about the need for more foster families, she decided she would become licensed herself as a single parent. She has been licensed for seven years and has welcomed 12 kiddos from newborns all the way up to 17 year olds! Fans, please help us celebrate Jennifer for making a difference right here in this community.

Durham, NC
April 14, 2024

Emily Cole – Today, we are celebrating Kayla DeWald. Kayla has been a single foster mom since 2022. In the last 2 years, she has welcomed 12 kiddos into her home. Kayla’s most recent placement she picked up at 10 days old. After finding out that reunification was not an option, Kayla was asked if she wanted to adopt the little one into her family.