Fostered

One Woman’s Powerful Story of Finding Faith and Family Through Foster Care

By: Tori Hope Petersen

Narrated by: Tori Hope Petersen

If you’re wondering if God can truly move in the life of someone with all the odds stacked against her, look no further than Tori Hope Petersen.

Tori grew up in the foster care system, a bi-racial child in a confusing and volatile world. Growing up with a mentally ill mother and living in twelve different foster homes, nothing was in her favor. And yet, even with a miniscule chance of graduating college and a great risk of being homeless, jobless, and on drugs, Tori overcame every negative stereotype and assumption that attacked her identity.

However, Tori will tell you she did not overcome. Christ did. In the face of the darkness, the difficulty, and the damage, Jesus made a way for Tori to find profound hope, deep faith, renewed purpose, and a loving family, too. After so many years of being on one side of foster care as a child, Tori is now on the other side as a foster mom, adoptive mom, and biological mom. On top of that, she was crowned as a Track and Field All-American and named Mrs. Universe 2021, a platform she now uses to pursue her passion for foster care reform, adoption advocacy, and help for vulnerable populations.

If you want to hear the true tale of an unlikely overcomer, this book is for you. If you want to learn more about the foster care system from a former foster youth’s perspective, this book is for you. If you want to better dwell in the reality of your own spiritual adoption by our Heavenly Father and better understand the orphan and the widow that He loves dearly, this book is for you. Ultimately, if you want to remember who God is, and what He can do through the most unlikely of people, Fostered is for you.

©2022 Tori Hope Petersen (P)2022 B&H Publishing

Inspiring

What an awesome glimpse into the life of someone who has lived in and out of the US foster care system. I learned a lot from this book and hope that through this new knowledge I can do better, pray more intentionally, and be more like Jesus.

Powerful and courageous. Take heed and let it impact you.

It can be tempting/easy to ignore the brokenness around us, because it can make us feel overwhelmed and helpless. But by staying naive and ignoring to what is going on- specifically in the foster care system, is absolutely detrimental. Tori has a gift. Listen to her words and take heed. This book is a must read.

Tori courageously shares her story with brave vulnerability that opens your eyes to deep pain and brokenness, but more that that, she sheds light on the HOPE we have and in the power of healing.

This book sheds light into the experience of foster youth, biological parents, foster parents, agency workers, schools, siblings, and so much more. She speaks about each experience in way that is REAL and doesn’t hold back, yet also holds deep empathy for all involved.

Tori is a testimony of the power of Christs love and his body. Love heals. Please read this book and sit with it, let it change you.

Not unlike my journey.

Foster-care, group homes, search for identity, desire to not repeat the errors of my parents. At seventy-five, I am a CASA interested in well being of the children and anxious to encourage parents to create that home where their children can thrive. I recommend this book to anyone who has experience foster care and the government agencies charged with protecting children.

Engaging, informative and inspirational

I have followed Tori on IG for a few years because I’m a foster / adoptive parent and appreciate her perspective. This book weaves her personal experiences with a deeper dove into the systems that create and dictate how and why foster youth move in and out of homes and why reunification is full of complex stories rooted in brokenness. Still, she always points us to a higher and greater hope that offers her (and us) grace, comfort and healing) she does all of this while emphasizing the good and helpful tools that are sometimes stigmatized in a church environment like mental health, therapy and medication. I’m so happy to have learned more about her journey. She has lived through and accomplished so much and she is still so young and yet such an inspiration and incredible example for those of us in the trenches of foster care. I can imagine this would be just as appreciated by FFY, adoptees, social workers, teachers, and more. It’s definitely worth a spot in your library.

So real and vulnerable.

While I did not have the same upbringing as Tori, I related to so much of her story and parts of her story revealed and healed the parts in my story that I didn’t even know needed to be healed. She is so brave for her honesty and vulnerability. God truly will use this book for so much good.

Also, I have always been drawn to the foster care system and learning more about it. I so value her insight from her experience with it. Thank you Tori, for sharing your story.

Amazing!

Tori, you are amazing! You have overcome so many things in your short life that would have broken so many souls. Thank you for sharing your life experiences with all of us! Keep your head held high and continue to grow in the light of God.

A great story

As a previous foster kid, this book was so relatable! Her words encouraged me, moved me and invited me to write my own story. Thanks Tori.

Amazing! Not your regular book, challenging!

A testimony from the mouth and life of someone that cares! Impactful and challenging! A great story to remember!

This is everything anyone needs to and should know

This book is as real as it gets. This is the life of so many kids in this country, and there are very few people who go into foster/care adoption because of the NEED. They have infertility, want to expand their family, ect. and this only causes further harm when the kids inevitably don't live up to those expectations of filling a hole in the lives of the adults. You HAVE to go into this with it being all about the kids, and because of the incredible need there is for these kids to have unconditional love within a family. The only way to do that is to know God's unconditional love for you and that He adopted you into his family.
I especially appreciate that Tori explains how there are absolutely orphanages in this country, they are just named "residential treatment facilities" "group homes" ect. And I'm telling you, they are everywhere and all of them are FULL. We are not doing enough. Please read this book and let it soften your heart toward foster care. We are called to care for the orphan and the widow, and it is NOT varsity-level Christianity to do so. It is one of the most basic principles of the Bible, and permeates throughout all of Scripture.

Humility and grace on paper

This has been a humbling and honest book. The grace and love with which the author writes is incredible and so honoring to the Lord. I was left so much food for the thought and highly recommend this book!