Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenika Gantes.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Foster The City began in 2017 in the San Francisco Bay Area under the name Foster The Bay, in response to the foster care crisis and a clear gap between the number of children entering care and the number of families available to receive them. From the very beginning, the heart of the organization has been to mobilize the local Church to step into that gap and be the hands and feet of Jesus. Today, Foster The City partners with churches and child welfare agencies in multiple regions of CA, NV and now has a pathway for nationwide engagement, providing a proven model to help churches raise up foster families, build support friend teams around them, and create sustainable pathways for families to engage in foster care. At its core, Foster The City exists to see the Church become the answer to the foster care crisis — ensuring that every child entering care has a safe home and loving home.
I joined the San Diego team in 2023 just as FTC was expanding its resources to SD. As a former foster (now adoptive) parent, I wanted to be involved with this mission in any way. I truly believe that the church is uniquely poised to be the answer to the foster care crisis.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Foster The City exists to activate the local Church to be the answer to the foster care crisis. Our work centers on one clear focus: helping churches recruit, equip, and sustain foster families so that more children can grow up in safe, loving homes.
We specialize in building bridges between churches and child welfare agencies. Rather than asking churches to figure foster care out on their own, we provide a proven model that includes foster care awareness and recruitment events, training for church leaders, ongoing coaching, and systems that help churches form care communities around foster families. This means families are not fostering in isolation — they’re surrounded by practical and emotional support that increases placement stability and long-term success.
We’re known for our church-activation model. While many organizations focus primarily on direct services or individual foster parent support, Foster The City focuses on multiplying impact by mobilizing entire congregations. One church can recruit multiple foster families, support dozens of biological families, and influence hundreds of volunteers. That multiplication effect is what allows real systems-level change.
What we’re most proud of is the number of churches that have moved from awareness to action — and the families and children whose lives have been changed because a church said yes. We’re proud of helping first-time foster parents take that initial step, of seeing churches become trusted partners with their local agencies, and of watching communities wrap around families in crisis with consistency and compassion.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
We just recently have begun adapting our resources to meet a broader audience so churches can participate nationally. We often get contacted by people wanting to get involved but were previously unable to provide the manpower to support outside of our regional teams. This new National Pathway and the free resources we give to church allows any church to partner with us in this shared vision.
Pricing:
- free
Contact Info:
- Website: https://fosterthecity.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fosterthecity
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fosterthecity1/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/FostertheCity
Image Credits
Kelsey Gann
