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The people and mission behind Abide Family Support

The heart of Abide is simple: first abiding in Christ, then learning to abide with our families, as we love well with wisdom and humility. Loving children impacted by foster care and adoption care means understanding the unique challenges they face and responding with evidence-based, whole-person support in the pursuit of healthier relationships.
Sheryl Klenovich
Founder

Before it was a ministry, it was our family.

I didn’t plan to start a nonprofit. I set out to build the close, loving family I had always dreamed of.

As a mom through both birth and adoption, woman of faith, pediatric nurse, and nursing instructor, I thought I had the tools I needed. Yet, there came a season when parenting felt much harder than I expected. I loved my children deeply, but I felt overwhelmed and unsure how to help them at times. I read parenting books, did Bible studies, and sought wisdom from people I trusted. Those resources were valuable, but we still needed more support.

We sought counseling and were eventually connected with a wonderful therapist who introduced us to Circle of Security Parenting. That program, along with counseling and occupational therapy, changed our family’s trajectory.

We learned how to be with our kids in whatever they were feeling, seeing beyond than the behavior to the underlying need instead of simply reacting. I learned to recognize my own “shark music” and to pause, then choose a different response. Circle also gave us a visual model and simple language for understanding attachment, which helped me recognize how my own fears, expectations, and reactions could hinder it.

Over time, we became more like the family I had always hoped we could be. We are far from perfect, but we are more connected than ever before. My hope was renewed.

That help was worth every dollar we spent and every mile we drove. But for many families, cost and distance are real barriers that can keep them from accessing the support and resources they need.

As I reflected on our family’s journey, I knew I wanted to help other families navigating adoption and foster care.

Over time, God gave me the vision for a ministry that would help foster and adoptive families find the same healing, connection, and hope we had found. That calling led to the creation of Abide Family Support in 2026.

Today, I have the privilege of serving as the founder and executive director of Abide Family Support. I am grateful to serve alongside a board of individuals whose lives have been shaped by foster care, adoption, and diverse family experiences. Together, we are committed to helping foster and adoptive families thrive.

 

Sheryl Klenovich

Founder & Executive Director, Abide Family Support

ABOUT ABIDE FAMILY SUPPORT

Supporting families navigating foster and adoption journeys. 

Mission

To promote healing and hope in children and their families navigating foster care and adoption through physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual support.

Vision

To equip families impacted by foster care and adoption to thrive together through loving and healthy connections.

OUR APPROACH

Abiding
Our foundation is abiding in Christ first, and then from that place we invest in our family.

Whole-Family
When families grow through foster care, kinship, or adoption, everyone is part of the journey. We are here to support the whole family.

Strengthening Connections
Healthy families are built on secure, loving relationships, and we equip caregivers to strengthen those bonds.

Community
Strong support takes a community. Community makes it possible to provide the resources foster and adoptive families need.

LEADERSHIP

Meet the board.

Abide Family Support is led by a volunteer board of parents and local leaders who bring lived experience, professional expertise, and a shared calling to this work.

Sheryl Klenovich

President & Executive Director

James Gattis

Treasurer

Brenda Graham

Board Member

Jeremy Curzio

Board Member

PARTNERS

Local organizations on mission with us.

Church Partners

  • Foundation Church
  • CrossPoint Church

Therapy and Counseling Partners

  • Connect and Restore

WHAT WE STAND FOR

AFS Core Values

Abiding

We believe abiding in Christ transforms followers to reflect God's love.

  • John 15:1-17
  • 1 John 3:23-24
  • 1 John 4:13-16

Presence

We believe offering loving presence in relationships cultivates trust, safety, and healthy connections.

  • Exodus 33:14-15
  • Psalm 139:7-10
  • Matthew 1:23
  • Matthew 28:20

Healing

We believe healing involves tending to the whole person — mind, body, and spirit.

  • Psalm 103.3
  • Psalm 147:3
  • Psalm 30:2
  • Mark 3:10
  • 1 Peter 2:24

Hope

We believe hope rooted in the Lord leads to peace and joy.

  • Psalm 62:5
  • Psalm 119:114
  • Jeremiah 29:11-13
  • Romans 5:1-5
  • Romans 15:13

Humility

We believe the posture of humility facilitates growth and connection.

  • Psalm 25:9
  • Micah 6:8
  • Philippians 2:3-8
  • Colossians 3:12-14
  • 1 Peter 5:5b-7

Endurance

We believe endurance is possible through relying on God and remembering those who have gone before us in faith.

  • Romans 15:4-6
  • 2 Corinthians 1:6,9
  • James 1:2-4
  • 2 Peter 1:5-7
  • Hebrews 12:1-3

GET INVOLVED

Join us in helping foster and adoptive families thrive.

Whether you are a family looking for support, a church ready to partner, or a donor who wants to help, there is a place for you here.

caregiver classes
HOW TO HELP