^{By Andrea Jacobs, JCFS Coordinator, Adoption and Family Building}

Parenting is rarely a solo act. We rely on carpools, group chats, and friends who drop off dinner and say, “You’ve got this.”

In Jewish life, we call that kehillah - community that shows up not just when things are easy, but when they’re real. For foster and adoptive families, that kind of support isn’t just nice to have, it’s necessary. This way of building a family brings joy, love, and plenty of plot twists that no parenting handbook could ever cover!

At JCFS Chicago, we see kehillah in motion every day.

Traveling the Path to Parenthood Together

Adoption doesn’t start the day a child comes home, adoption is not an event. It begins much earlier, with preparation, education about grief and loss, paperwork, and waiting. It’s a mix of excitement and overwhelm that only those in it truly understand.

That’s why we created our Adoption Connection Cohorts, facilitated spaces where people can learn, process, and meet others who get it. Some of those first connections turn into lifelong friendships. Years later, these parents are still in touch, trading advice about school, B’nai Mitzvah prep, and the occasional “you won’t believe what happened today” story.

It's a community that grows with you, reminds you that you’re not walking this road alone— and helps the next group find their way.

Foster and Interim Care Families

Across Chicagoland, Jewish families open their homes to children in need of foster or interim care. Sometimes it’s for a few days, sometimes for months or years, but always, it’s with open hearts.

Fostering isn’t a guarantee that a child will be adopted by that family; it’s a promise of stability, safety, and to parent a child for as long as needed. These families say “yes” in moments of uncertainty, and it’s on all of us to make sure they’re surrounded by encouragement, meals, and community, in the same way we would if they were welcoming a new baby. No one should step into that sacred role without a circle behind them.

Honest Conversations

Let’s be honest, adoption and fostering bring out big emotions: joy, pride, gratitude— and sometimes grief, confusion, or guilt.

Parents ask:

• How do we tell our child’s story honestly?
• How do we help them feel proud of every part of their identity?
• What happens when our emotions surprise us?

At JCFS, we host confidential, facilitated drop-in spaces for parents to talk about all of it: the good, the hard, and the “I thought I was the only one” moments. There’s something powerful about hearing someone else say, “Yes, us too.”

Because the questions change over time, we offer groups for every stage, from new parents to those raising teens and young adults. The need for connection doesn’t go away; it just evolves.

Adoptees: Voices at the Center

My favorite part of this work is seeing adoptees grow into their voices.

We see adult adoptees leading workshops, shaping programs, and teaching us what it really means to listen. We see kids who once played together now helping younger ones at events.

At our annual Chanukah celebration at The Ark, I watch it all come full circle — older adoptees guiding the little ones, laughing and chatting with parents of younger children. As both an adoptive parent and an adoption professional, nothing makes me happier than seeing my own young adults come back to be part of that mix!

Contact Andrea Jacobs or see our webpage for more information.