DETROIT, May 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- With nearly 10,000 kids in the foster care system, Samaritas is teaming up with, "Our Family Is Not a Tree" author Laura Boonstra to encourage more Michiganders to become licensed foster parents. Samaritas events in Lansing on June 3 and in Grand Rapids on June 7, will offer the public an up-close chance to learn about Boonstra's intimate experiences as a foster parent.

Adults interested in attending are encouraged to register for this free event at https://samaritas.co/boonstratour or call 833-605-HOPE (4673) to learn about the foster care process.

When Laura Boonstra opened her home to refugee children, she didn't have a roadmap. "We're very, very ordinary people. We're not anyone special," said Boonstra. She added, "It's okay to take a step, even if you can't see the whole path ahead of you."

Boonstra's message is one Samaritas hopes more adults will embrace as the agency works to recruit compassionate adults willing to open their homes to foster kids. Licensed foster parents for tweens, teens, and young refugees are urgently needed.

Statistically, children between 8 and 16 years-old have a harder time finding foster parents to care for them. Without a safe and stable home, this group of kids could age without proper guidance and quickly experience homelessness, poverty, human trafficking, or other serious dangers.

"Older children in the foster care system, simply need someone who cares while they're experiencing some serious difficulties at home," said Rachel Sykes, vice president of Samaritas Family Services. "Whether they are young refugees here alone or teens already in 'the system', these kids deserve stability, encouragement, and a safe place to call home."

Foster care is a temporary intervention while biological families work toward reunification; in cases where parental rights are terminated, children may become eligible for adoption.

During National Foster Care Month, Samaritas is encouraging single and married adults to attend the June 3 or June 7 events to learn about the joys of fostering. Free virtual and one-on-one orientations are available for anyone interested in learning about the refugee foster care process, domestic foster care process or information about reinstating a lapsed foster care license.

Samaritas serves families throughout Michigan with offices in Detroit, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Kalamazoo. Visit Samaritas.org or call 833-605-HOPE (4673) to get started on a foster care journey.

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SOURCE Samaritas