Three generations, two new babies, and a decade of camping trips Up North. Around a campfire with her daughters-in-law, Robyn Harvey realized the Parent Café agreements had quietly become part of how she shows up for her family. No formal Café required.

“¡FELIZ 5 DE MAYO!” me dijo una persona afroamericana en 1998 cuando yo recién había inmigrado del estado de Michoacán, México. Yo amablemente conteste “Gracias” sin saber realmente por qué celebramos el 5 de mayo ya que en Michoacán, este no es un día de celebración. Me di cuenta de que, por mi origen mexicano, yo daba la impresión de que yo celebraba este día.

“HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO!” said an African-American person to me in 1998 when I had just immigrated from the state of Michoacán, Mexico. I kindly answered "Thank you” without really knowing why we celebrate May 5th because in the state of Michoacán, this is not a day of celebration. I realized that, because of my Mexican origin, it gave the impression that I celebrated this day.

Way #3 from BSF's Living the Protective Factors book reframes resilience as radical self-empathy — giving yourself permission to pause, regroup, and offer yourself the same compassion you'd give anyone else you love.

“Obras son Amores No Buenas Razones” (Deeds Speak Louder than Words) … my mom, Ana Maria Gomez, used to say emphatically to my siblings and me a lot! I am a father who doesn’t say much, talk a lot about love, or expresses how much I love my family and friends… But oh man, do I enjoy it every time my wife or my children or my friends tell me they love me!

"Obras son Amores No Buenas Razones” ... solía decirnos mi mamá, Ana María Gómez enfáticamente a mí y a mis hermanos, ¡mucho!. Soy un papá que no dice mucho, que no habla mucho sobre el amor o que no expresa lo mucho que ama a su familia y amigos ... ¡Pero vaya que lo disfruto cada vez que mi esposa o mis hijos o amigos me dicen que me aman!

BSF CEO couldn't be in the same room with her Trump-supporting brother after the 2016 election. Then came Thanksgiving. Her honest reflection on family, inclusion, and the unexpected path back to connection is exactly the kind of story that sits at the heart of BSF's mission.

No one ever talks about successful foster homes. A BSF staff member shares her own story of being removed from her home in Puerto Rico as a teenager, to finding the foster family she calls her forever home. A powerful reminder of what it means to truly belong.

Family means something different to everyone. Hear from our Board of Directors — researchers, social workers, educators, and community leaders — on what family truly means to them: personal, expansive, and rooted in the belief that strong families are the foundation of healthy communities.

After two decades as a foster parent, Robyn Harvey confesses — she wasn't always a good one. Her reflection on empathy, shame, and the relationships that make foster care work is a must-read for anyone who cares about keeping families together.

Growing up as the white sibling of a Black brother didn't just change Jessie Schrantz's family; it changed her. Her reflection on transracial adoption challenges us to examine how whiteness shapes the experience of multiracial families and what radical, anti-racist love actually looks like in practice.