Loving the Child, Honoring the Family

How foster care reshaped the Cohicks—and formed a next-generation calling in their daughter.

When Craig and Afton Cohick opened their home to foster care a little over two years ago, they expected bottles, nap schedules, and caseworker visits. What they didn’t expect was how deeply the journey would reshape their outlook—and their children’s.

“Before foster care, we didn’t realize how many children were out there who needed care—or how much support the parents themselves need,” Afton reflects.

Their guiding conviction is simple and counter-cultural: love the child fully and honor the child’s family by welcoming them into the circle of care.

Their 17-year-old daughter, Aniyha, describes the shift with striking clarity. She once felt “comfortable,” even a bit sheltered, but meeting children who hadn’t had the same opportunities “opened our eyes and our hearts.”

Her advice to other teens whose parents are considering fostering is honest: be brave enough to care, even when caring might hurt. “You have to be willing to put your heart out there—and be willing to get your heart broken,” she says. “The ache is real, but there is a lot of beauty in it as well.”

That beauty shows up in milestones: first smiles, first steps, and first words. The Cohicks talk about the joy of watching babies thrive, but they also recognize that every child’s story begins long before their home. For them, loving a child means honoring that story and the parents who are part of it.

The Cohicks see foster care as a ministry of restoration—loving children while walking alongside the parents working to bring them home. They babysit when asked, offer encouragement to parents pursuing sobriety and stability, and celebrate each step toward reunification. “If we can step in and say, ‘We’re a friend—we’re here to help in any way we can,’ we will,” Afton says. For them, involvement with parents isn’t an add-on; it’s part of loving the child well.

To honor those parents even in their absence, the family assembles “memory boxes”—photos, keepsakes of their firsts, a tiny hospital cap, and notes to mom. The keepsakes travel with the child and preserve every parent’s place in the story.

While many children in their care return home, not every story ends in reunification. Some journeys take a different path, but the Cohicks believe every child deserves lasting love and stability, whatever form it takes.

That’s where  Dexter, the baby they adopted, comes in. His presence, Aniyha says, is “a forever impact.” She jokes that the family would “keep them all” if they could, but they also celebrate reunifications and keep cheering for biological families from the sidelines.

Asked whether she’d foster one day, Aniyha doesn’t hesitate. “I think I will be a foster parent when I’m older, because I just feel like it’s a path that I’m meant to be on,” she says. She wants to give back, to love deeply, and, if necessary, “let her heart break a little to help others.”

Why this matters for all of us
The Cohicks’ story reminds us that foster care is ordinary and holy. It’s bedtime, bottles, paperwork, courage, humility, and hope stitched together by the community. There is a profound need across all ages, from infants to teens. Consider this your nudge if you’ve wondered whether your family, small group, or church could play a part.

Take the next step with Project 1.27

• Pray for children in care, their parents, and families like the Cohicks.
• Learn what fostering (or supporting a foster family) looks like—join our next Info Meeting. 
• Support a family with meals, childcare, or transportation, or give to sustain practical help year-round. 

By Janet Rowland, Delta County Manager