Meet the Kaehler Family

Written by: Kelsey Remmel and Jill Grotluschen, Social Workers, Fargo

I would like to introduce Jason and Amy Kaehler. Jason and Amy have been licensed with PATH since May 2013 through the Fargo office.

They have been married for eight and a half years. Jason is from Dawson, MN and Amy is originally from Milwaukee, WI. Jason works as an engineer for the railroad in Wahpeton, ND, which is what brought the Kaehlers to Fairmount, ND. He enjoys sports, fishing, hunting, gardening, and the outdoors. Amy works as a job coach for the DAC in Wahpeton, ND. She enjoys reading, cooking, cleaning, and being a mom. Jason has a 12 year old daughter, Mykaela, and together they have a two year old daughter, Natalya. As a family, they enjoy going to zoos, hiking, fishing, and going to parks.

Jason and Amy have discussed foster care and adoption for years. They both want a large family; however, it was not in the cards because of fertility issues. When they were blessed with their daughter, Natalya, they decided to focus on foster care and adoption for the future. From the beginning of their time with PATH, Jason and Amy have wanted to take sibling groups. Their reasoning has always been that they could not stand to think of siblings being separated when they have the space and love to give to large sibling groups.

As many of us know, working in this field as a foster parent or social worker can be a whirlwind of experiences, from placements to new behaviors to watching youth develop and grow into successful individuals. To say Jason and Amy understand the whirlwind of being a foster parent would be in understatement. Jason and Amy were ready to jump in and take their first placement the day their license was issued. Little did they know they would receive a call one day, inquiring if they would take a sibling group of four, all TFC level, that very day. Being the wonderful, generous, and loving people they are, they jumped right in and said “Yes! As long as we have the room.” Only minutes later, we received a text from Jason that he had measured the bedrooms and they could fit four beds in the rooms according to licensing standards. Jason and Amy waited eagerly by the phone to hear if the variance would be passed and if they would be taking their first placement that afternoon. 

It has been quite the learning experience for everyone involved, but Jason and Amy continue to do wonderfully with this sibling group. When asked what has been their best experience with foster care thus far, they report that it is having all the kids in their home bringing all this love into their household. They feel they have learned so much about themselves in the process and are becoming better parents overall. According to Jason and Amy the hardest/worst part is trying to find a balance between focusing on the kids, time to still be a couple, and time for themselves. Mykaela and Natalya love having foster youth in their home. Mykaela has been very humbled by the situation as she has realized how lucky she truly is. Natyla loves having “live in” friends.

Jason and Amy have done a wonderful job of taking their first sibling group of four sisters into their home. And although it has not always been an easy adjustment, they manage to focus on the positives and encourage the foster children, and their own girls, to their fullest potential. We want to thank Jason and Amy for everything they do as foster parents.