Impact

By looking at this photo of Naomi Yoder surrounded by nearly twenty grandchildren, it’s clear she has a deep love for children. But Naomi’s heart reaches far beyond her own family—beyond bloodlines and last names.

Naomi became a foster mom in 1966, just one year after her first son was born. With encouragement from a close friend who had fostered for years, Naomi and her husband completed the training and opened their home. With that decision, a lifelong calling began—one that continues nearly six decades later.

Now at 82 years old, Naomi is still fostering.

“I wish I would have kept track of how many children we had,” Naomi says. “But we just went day to day.”

Her first placements were two siblings, followed later by their third sibling. Those children stayed with her for five and a half years. Over time, Naomi and her husband took a break to raise their own growing family— which totaled seven boys—but they returned to fostering soon after.

One of those returns brought a sibling group, ages seven and nine, into their home. Naomi raised them to adulthood.

“Annette wanted to be adopted,” Naomi shares, “so when she was about fourteen, I adopted her.”

Today, Annette is her daughter in every sense of the word.

Even now, Naomi continues to welcome emergency placements in the middle of the night, provide respite care, and care for a teen who has lived in her home for nearly four years.

“I’m so glad the Lord has blessed me with good health so I’m still able to do it,” she says.

Naomi’s family now spans generations—five great-grandchildren, nearly twenty grandchildren, and many foster children who still stay in touch decades later.

“I had Kristie forty years ago,” Naomi shares. “She lives in Arizona now and still texts to check on me. She sends Christmas cards and birthday gifts. She has twins and a family of her own. It’s such a joy to know she remembers and appreciates what I did all those years ago.”

She lights up when she talks about her former foster son, Chris. “He lives in Northern Virginia now. He’s an assistant manager at an upscale restaurant and doing very well for himself. I’m very proud of him,” she says. “They still feel like my sons and daughters.”

For Naomi, the hardest part of fostering has always been sharing in her children’s pain.

“When I see them hurting, I hurt,” she explains. “I just try to help them see the positive side of life. No child should ever have to be in foster care, but when it happens, it helps to know that people are doing these things because they care about you.”

Along the way, Naomi has found strength in community. She has built close friendships with other foster parents and remains deeply grateful for the social workers who support her.

“We’ve been blessed with good workers,” she says.

And as long as she’s able, Naomi will keep showing up—answering late-night calls, offering steady love, and reminding every child who enters her home that they are deeply cared for.