Our Mission
& Vision
Our mission is to stand alongside foster, kinship, and adoptive families, offering both emotional and practical support to alleviate stress and prevent burnout. Through collaborative partnerships with the community, we create opportunities for everyone to engage in meaningful ways, ensuring no family walks alone on their journey.
Our Why
Research indicates that between 30% to 50% of foster parents opt to close their homes to foster children annually due to overwhelming stress, burnout, and insufficient training. This unfortunate trend often occurs within the first year of fostering, despite the critical need for supportive environments for children emerging from challenging backgrounds and trauma.
We recognize that community members may be unaware of the various avenues through which they can offer assistance. Hence, our aim is to facilitate tailored solutions for each individual, family, business, or religious institution.
Echoing the sentiment of Jason Johnson, "Everyone can do something," we endeavor to guide the community in discovering their unique contribution. Regardless of the chosen avenue of support, every effort makes a meaningful impact in the lives of these children and families.
11,235
children in out-of-home
care in Minnesota
3,955
licensed foster care homes
in Minnesota
Testimonials
“Foster Together has had a powerful impact in our family's life. We are especially grateful for all the relationships we have formed with other families who are walking similar journeys. Being matched with a mentor gave me courage, especially in the beginning when I felt like I had new questions every hour. On some of my hardest days, I've been able to reach out and find support in fellow foster parents. The monthly coffee with moms has been especially helpful for me. It offers a place to ask questions, be encouraged, and normalize your own experiences. My kids also really look forward to all the fun events like bowling, ice cream, and party in the park!" – Foster and Adoptive Parent
“Thank you so much for all of your support and assistance during this transition. Having Foster Together MN provide this service to us allowed us to focus on the kiddos and preparing our home and ourselves for their arrival. We are beyond appreciative of everything that was donated." – Foster Parent
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"Foster Together MN was so quick to reach out and support when we received a placement. Yes, I could have gone to target and gotten diapers myself. But it is more than that. It shows unity, it shows support, and it shows community. Knowing someone out there has your back and acknowledges that you are doing a really scary and exhausting and draining service and saying yes to a lot of unknowns is so appreciated." – Foster Parent
Our Team
Micayla Johnson
Executive Director, Founder
Micayla founded Foster Together MN with a vision to create a network of support and resources for foster, kinship, and adoptive families in her own community. Driven by a deep personal connection to foster care, Micayla has dedicated her time and energy to making sure every child and family on this journey feels valued, loved, and part of a compassionate community. Micayla's heart and passion deepened through her own journey of being a foster parent. She is excited to come alongside and build relationships with others who open their homes and hearts to kiddos in our area.
Brooke Smith
Board President, Abundant Goods Lead
Brooke is a working mother and foster parent in Dakota County. Since becoming licensed in 2021, Brooke and her husband have provided respite, emergency, and long term care to foster children of all ages and backgrounds. Foster Together has been a crucial part of Brooke’s foster parent journey. She is excited to use her passion and experience to help serve other local foster families and support them through their journeys as well.
Brë McMullen
Board Vice President
Brë has been in the human services field for seven years serving children and families as a social worker and mental health practitioner. She specialized in child foster care social work for the last four years. Brë has a passion for empowering families, fostering collective connections, and implementing intentional mindful practices. She believes that by supporting resource families, they in turn can feel more equipped in their support of others – optimistically resulting in the nurturing and preservation of families.
Barb Sipe
Board Treasurer
Barb was introduced to the foster care community when she became a foster grandma in 2021, but helping others has always been a passion of hers. In her career, she has been an elementary & special education teacher, stay at home parent to four children, Finance and Operations Manager at a nonprofit
organization, and is now a Client Service Coordinator at a wealth management company. She is blessed to serve the foster care community through this role.
Warren Graver
Board Member
Warren is an author, a public sector consultant and technologist who has been in the human services ecosystem for over 15 years; primarily serving child welfare agencies. He has partnered with state and local government leadership and teams to modernize antiquated technologies, and enhance programs serving at-risk and foster youths. He is driven by a vision to reimagine child welfare through collaborative approaches that will facilitate the rebuilding of the families' and youth's village. He's excited to join the Foster Together team where his passion perfectly aligns with the team's mission.
Grace Rogness
Board Member
Grace is a passionate advocate for foster families and a dedicated member of Foster Together MN. Having been adopted herself and growing up with two special needs brothers who were also adopted, Grace has a deeply personal understanding of the challenges and rewards that come with fostering and adoption. Her huge heart for animals led her to foster dogs for three years, and she now wants to channel that same passion into supporting foster families through Foster Together MN. Grace is excited to put her passion into furthering the growth of Foster Together MN and helping her community. She is committed to ensuring that every foster family receives the support and resources they need to thrive, and she looks forward to making a meaningful impact through her work with the organization.
Abby Morgan
Board Member
Abby is passionate about children and families receiving the supports they need to be healthy and safe. Abby has been a foster parent for a little over two years and has worked in the field as a social worker for almost 10 years. She is a trauma-informed care enthusiast and an advocate for children and families navigating the mental health system in Minnesota. Abby enjoys training community members and organizations on the implementation of trauma informed care when working with youth. She is excited to join the Foster Together team and support families and youth on this journey by empowering the community and providing appropriate resources.