Fostering Our Future

David and Heather Dahl

In the past three and a half years, David and Heather Dahl have had 12 children placed in their care and provided respite care as well. Although they were initially licensed for two children between the ages of one and seven, they have welcomed kids from a few months to 17-years-old into their home, and have cared for children placed in their home for a year or more. Their flexibility has enabled them to impact the lives of many children in foster care.

Both Heather and David are models for good parenting practices. When David is deployed overseas, Heather still runs a tight ship. She has the expectation that each child entering her home will be treated with respect and will return the favor. Heather and David promote positive activities for foster children and ensure that kids in their home are kept busy.

The Dahls are always accommodating to birth parents, opening their home for visits or transporting the children elsewhere when necessary. Heather is excellent at managing the foster children's behaviors and offers her guidance and experience to birth parents. They have been able to take their foster kids on family trips that have been some of the greatest experiences in of their young lives, and document their experiences through photos which they often share with birth parents. The Dahls were one of the recipients of the 2009 Governor's Foster Care awards.