June 16, 2020
Episode 44: Foster Mom & Author Keri Vellis
In this episode, Rob and Dana talk to mom and author Keri Vellis.
Keri is a mom of six children, three of whom she adopted from foster care, and her incredible story was recently featured in People Magazine. When she tried to find books about foster care to read to her kids, she realized there aren’t many out there, so she decided to write some herself.
Keri talks about what inspired her to become a foster parent, how she advocates for her special needs son, and how she educates her community about foster care.
Learn more about Keri and purchase her books at kerivellis.com and her organization Keri’s Kids at keriskids.net.
You can also purchase Keri’s books to put in Comfort Cases by shopping for it on our Amazon Wish List. Your order will ship directly to Comfort Cases and we will put the book in a Comfort Case for a child in foster care.
Keri Vellis brings a message of hope and safety to children in foster care. As a mother of six children, three adopted through the foster system and three with special needs, Keri has drawn on her unique experience to self-publish two books. Filled with lively illustrations by Jin Lehr, a foster herself who aged out of the system, each book tells an identifiable story with a comforting resolution.
Keri’s first book, Sometimes…, was compelled by her initial foster experience. Seeking to help her own foster kiddos move through the fear and shame that accompany the transition to a new home, she sought a book to incorporate into bedtime reading. She found nothing, so she wrote one herself! Through a timid foster child with a teddy bear, Sometimes… helps children feel good about themselves, safe in their journey, and confident that they can have love and happiness in their lives.
Her second book, When I Was Little…, is another message from the heart. Again, drawing from her experience with varied circumstances that brought over 20 foster children into her home, Keri tells a story that helps children overcome the pain and difficulties of abuse or trauma. It not only teaches compassion but inspires trust in professionals who can help a child feel confident and loved again.
With her husband, Keri and her thriving family live out their hearts’ desires in Sonoma County, California. Keri remains passionate about connecting with and helping children as she continues to write books, read in local classrooms, and grow Keri’s Kids, a non-profit that seeks to comfort and empower as many children as possible through her books.
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