Foster Parents, YOU MATTER!
You Matter is a daily devotion for foster and adoptive parents caring for abused and neglected children. Many times parents have a heart to care for the fatherless, but become quickly discouraged, struggling to meet the demands of the foster care system and the child’s deep pains of emotional trauma.

Have you ever felt discouraged or weary as a foster parent?
You Matter provides a daily message of encouragement helping foster and adoptive parents to remember why they started their journey of fostering children. Many parents start out with so much joy and willingness to help hurting children, but soon realize that being a foster parent can be quite challenging. There are many factors involved with fostering and adopting children who are in the Custody of the State such as complying with Minimum Standards, suffering through investigations, and the emotional and physical aggression the children display. Sharing her parents with foster children as a child, gives Dr. Carla a first-hand experience of living with children from the State. In her adult years, Carla chose to work with kids abroad such as Guatemala, South Korea, China, Africa, and at home with ‘street kids’ and abused and neglected children. These experiences with traumatized children gives Carla a strong message to encourage foster and adoptive parents to know that they matter!

About the Author
Dr. Carla Johnson is a business owner, international speaker, and business executive. Carla’s purpose is to provide strategies and insight for caregivers of children and youth who have experienced emotional trauma and advocate for abused and neglected children helping to unravel their traumatic experiences so that healing can take place. She has traveled all over the world dedicating her life to working on behalf of children and their families. Born in Columbia, Tennessee and a resident of Fort Worth, Texas, Carla is the Executive Director of Kids First Child Placing Agency. Carla earned her Masters of Social Work, Masters of Church Social Services, and later her Doctorate of Strategic Leadership & Organizational Development.

Fostering is Important Work
You need someone to walk along beside you and encourage you as you go. Someone who has been there before and knows what it's like.

Get the Encouragement You Need
With dozens of devotionals, You Matter will help you see just how vital it is to be a foster or adoptive parent. And how rewarding it can be.

Find the Joy of Fostering
You Matter includes weekly questions for reflection and discussion as you go. We want you to rediscover the joy of foster parenting.