For Phillip and Sarah Kemp, fostering was never about growing their family—it was about keeping families together. As a pastor and a stay-at-home mom of four biological children, the Kemps felt led to open their home to sibling groups and support safe reunification whenever possible.
In late 2019, two young sisters were placed with the Kemps. Phillip and Sarah didn’t hesitate to form a relationship with the girls’ mother, offering support, supplies, and encouragement as she worked to get back on her feet—especially during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a hopeful season, with reunification in sight.
But when another sibling was born and subsequently removed from the mother’s home, the path forward changed. The Kemps began the process to bring this baby, the girls’ brother, into their care. With six children already in the household, they needed special approval to exceed the state’s limit on foster placements. One of the conditions for approval was that a supervisory adult had to be awake in the home at all times. That meant that either Phillip or Sarah had to be awake 24/7. Even after years in their care, CPS could show up in the middle of the night—and someone had to be alert and ready to meet them. Beyond this, there were weekly check-ins, ongoing paperwork, and court delays that dragged on for months.
Eventually, it became clear that the children would not be returning to their biological family. The Kemps finalized the adoption of the three siblings in 2022. When yet another sibling was born and entered care, they said yes again. In August of 2023, they finalized their fourth adoption.
Most people never saw the behind-the-scenes reality—the exhaustion, the uncertainty, the weight of waiting. But through it all, the Kemps remained steady, giving these children what they needed most: the chance to grow up together.
