When you step into the Youngblood home, you’re greeted with laughter coming from the living room, the sound of a football game outside, and someone snacking in the kitchen. It’s a little loud, a little chaotic, and completely full of love.
“Kids are just drawn to our house,” says Chelsea Youngblood, who has been fostering through Children’s Home of York alongside her husband, John, for more than a decade. “We just love it. Our house is always full!”
How the Youngbloods Started Fostering
Chelsea and John always knew fostering would be a part of their story.
“My husband was adopted,” Chelsea said. “And working in the city, there were a lot of kids who needed someone. It just felt like something we were meant to do.”
That’s why living near Children’s Home of York felt like fate.
“When we got married, we contacted them and started the process,” said Chelsea.
Since that call, their home has welcomed ten children in foster care, five of whom they’ve adopted, alongside their two biological children.
What Is It Like to Foster and Adopt Through CHOY?
Each placement has come with new lessons, some of them harder than others.
“We’ve had kids come and go, but they’re always part of our life. It’s amazing to see how they grow—and how much they teach us, too,” Chelsea said.
One child, Jerome, joined their home at age 11.
“His bond with us and our son was different,” Chelsea says. “I think it was the best decision we ever made having Jerome in our home.”
Years later, as Jerome prepared to join the military, he asked Chelsea and John to adopt him.
Today, he’s 22, building his career in the Marine Corps., and facetiming the Youngbloods from Japan on birthdays and holidays.
How Does Children’s Home of York Support Foster Parents?
The Youngbloods are quick to describe the support around them, and how when things got hard, Children’s Home of York stepped in.
“We couldn’t have been able to do it without the team,” said Chelsea.
Caseworkers helped arrange evaluations, offered extra home visits, and provided transportation to family visitation. Children’s Home of York also connected the Youngbloods with other foster parents through group nights to build a sense of community.
“Find somebody that has been doing it for a while,” John advises. “Ask questions and for guidance.”
“You can’t do it by yourself. Having a support system like CHOY makes all the difference,” Chelsea added.
For Chelsea and John, that support began long before their first full-time placement. In fact, their entire journey started with a weekend respite, a short-term stay that changed everything.
What Is Respite Care — and How Can It Help Families Start Fostering?
Respite care, short-term placement for a weekend or a few days, gives foster parents time for a rest or regroup, while maintaining stability and care for children. For some families, it’s simply a helping hand. For the Youngbloods, it was a beginning.
“We started out doing respite care,” Chelsea said.
“It’s a good way to see if they’d be a good fit here, especially kids with behavior challenges. If you meet their needs, the behaviors go away,” said John.
Children’s Home of York supports respite caregivers every step of the way, offering trauma-informed training, case management and a team that’s always ready to help. For families like the Youngbloods, that support makes it possible to say “yes” to children in need.
“A lot of people view foster care where they end up adopting, and it’s not always the case. Our goal was to meet these kids and help them until they went back home and here we are with our fifth adoption,” said Chelsea.
Their most recent adoption, 18-year-old Dynasty, began as a respite placement who initially told John and Chelsea she didn’t want to be adopted.
That changed one night while they were on vacation together. “She was asking, ‘What happens if I change my mind about the adoption stuff?’” Chelsea recalls. “She said, ‘I hope you say yes because I already told my caseworkers before I asked you.’”
Dynasty officially became part of the Youngblood family in October 2025.
And their door isn’t closing anytime soon. “I don’t think we’re done yet,” Chelsea said. “Our house is staying open. I don’t want to not be that person for them.”
Why Respite Care Matters
The Youngbloods’ story began with one weekend of respite care, and that decision has now changed the lives of more than ten children. Respite care is an essential part of supporting children in foster systems and the families who care for them. It’s a small act that can have lasting impact by giving children stability, giving foster families support and giving caregivers a glimpse into the life-changing experience of fostering.
If you’ve ever felt called to make a difference for children, respite care with Children’s Home of York offers a compassionate, supported way to start. Every moment you give makes a difference.
Ready to Learn More?
Children’s Home of York is here to guide you every step of the way. Learn more about respite care and fostering in Pennsylvania:
Email: Htrimmer@choy.org | Phone: 717-755-1033
Visit: https://www.childrenshomeofyork.org/foster-care