Therapeutic Foster Care

Foster Fathers Support LGBTQ+ Youth

Brandon and Justin have been foster parents for 8 years and joined New Jersey MENTOR in November on the recommendation of a co-worker. They have dedicated themselves to supporting teenagers with emotional and/or behavioral challenges, as well as youth who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community.
“I like to just show the kids, be your true self,” said Brandon. “Just seeing LGBT people that do different types of jobs, help people in different ways. It’s a different perspective than what you might see on TV and I think that’s really important.”

Finding Support with MENTOR

Brandon and Justin have felt completely supported on their journey as same-sex foster parents, from their support team to the biological families they have worked with. “The one thing we do know for certain,” said Justin, “is that if we ever need anything we can always reach out to MENTOR.”

They were especially thankful for the supports available from MENTOR when they might need a break to make sure they can serve children as their best selves. Still, they joked that without a child in the home for too long they feel things get too boring!

Define Your Own Family

Learn more about how you can define your own family as a Mentor foster parent.

Brandon and Justin each shared their advice for potential foster parents, and both emphasized not to take things personally. Brandon said, “You learn from each youth so just learn. Add more to your lens.” Justin added, “Learn and grow, but make it fun.” They have been amazed by the impact they have been able to have for kids in care, even when they thought the kids might not be listening.

Thank you to Brandon and Justin for your incredible work as Mentor foster fathers!
Therapeutic Foster Care