Aiden and Jessica
Hello and welcome! We are Aiden & Jessica. We live with our dog, rabbit, and hamster in a charming little village in upstate New York. Thank you for taking the time to learn a little bit about our family. Although we have no children, we have experience as foster parents and have had the joy of temporarily taking care of children in our home.
Your child, if you were to choose us, would be loved by some of the strongest people we know. We have surrounded ourselves with loved ones that are so welcoming and caring to anyone that we have had the pleasure to have in our home – even if it was just a short stay. We know how important maintaining a relationship can be with birth parents, if that is what you are looking for.
Hello &
Welcome
- WE ARE -
AIDEN
& JESSICA
dear Birth parents
We live with our dog, rabbit, and hamster in a charming little village in upstate New York. Thank you for taking the time to learn a little bit about our family. Although we have no children, we have experience as foster parents and have had the joy of temporarily taking care of children in our home.
Your child, if you were to choose us, would be loved by some of the strongest people we know. We have surrounded ourselves with loved ones that are so welcoming and caring to anyone that we have had the pleasure to have in our home – even if it was just a short stay. We know how important maintaining a relationship can be with birth parents, if that is what you are looking for.
With fostering, we have been able to make some lifelong relationships with a few birth families. Our family and friends know that family is what you make it sometimes, and we have expanded our family to include some of our former foster children and families. Ourselves, and our friends and family have welcomed these people into our lives with open arms, and no judgment.
- OUR -
Story
We have known each other since 2009.
We have been together for 10 years, and we were married on our 5-year anniversary. Funny story – we actually were roommates at one time about 14 years ago. After being friends for years, we went out on a “date” and the rest is history. We have not spent a day apart since.
We complement each other perfectly. While Jessica is outspoken and bold at times, Aiden can reel her in and be the voice of reason, rooted in logic. We both love entertaining and cooking. We try to have all the holidays and parties at our home and adore sharing the house with love and laughter over delicious food.
- A DAY IN -
our lives
Our mornings can start early (to Aiden’s dismay, who is not a morning person.) Once dressed and ready, we head to the kitchen to prepare food for any little ones who may be in our care at the time and spend a few minutes chatting about our expectations for the day before we head out the door – what we look forward to, what we have planned, and when we all see each other next.
We always try to have dinner together as a family. Then we go for a stroll around our beautiful village in the evenings. We walk Jasper, and just take in the beauty NY can provide throughout the seasons. The weekends consist of visiting friends, festivals, and working on restoring our historic home. Upstate NY has lots to do on the weekends, apple festivals, pumpkin farms for the fall, Christmas tree farms in the winter. You name it – we probably have an event for it. All of which are amazing to do with children!
Jessica
by Aiden
Jessica has been my confidant from the very beginning. She has always had this amazing ability to ground me and keep my head out of the clouds when necessary. I’ve watched that talent grow and spread with her ability to direct children toward constructive and meaningful play to learn and grow safely. One of the things I love most about Jessica is her drive in everything she does. I can see it ripple throughout her life. Her goal is to provide a safe, loving, and fun environment for everyone in her life. The manifestation of this is her planning activities and outings to keep us all engaged, or doing something small like being the boo-boo kisser supreme.
Above all else, Jessica has an unrivaled sense of caring. She is the epitome of a mother who will give of herself at all hours to ensure those in her home have what they need.
DO WHAT YOU LOVE,
LOVE WHAT YOU DO
Being a nurse has brought me such joy over the years. I love caring for others. As a nurse- I know how hard it can be to selflessly care for someone else. By doing this I believe this will only strengthen my abilities as a mother. After years of hard work I have been able to have the luxury of a Monday-Friday, no weekends/no holidays schedule. This has given the ability to have a great work/life balance. I have an amazing boss, and an amazing hospital that allows me to put my family first before all else.
Aiden
by Jessica
Aiden is my rock. He is so caring and wonderful. He is my biggest support my hype man when I need him to be. He is a jack-of-all trades- from construction to computers- he can do it all. Aiden did most of our remodeling on our home himself. While Aiden can be my biggest cheerleader – we are also such an amazing team. We talk about everything- there is nothing I cannot talk to him about. We really push openness and communication in our home.
Watching Aiden grow as a role model to the children we have had in our lives is one of my greatest joys. He has so much knowledge to instill in children. He is so patient and kind. Aiden gets down on their level and walks them through how to do something, or just listens when they are upset. Aiden is such a goofball- when our home is filled with laughter I am happiest of all.
DO WHAT YOU LOVE,
LOVE WHAT YOU DO
I spent a long time searching for what I wanted to do in life. Eventually, as I was exploring software development as a hobby, I fell in love with it. Now, I work in Software Development for a large bank, and enjoy the benefit of being able to perform my duties on a fairly flexible schedule from home. Working from home brings me an amazing work life balance because I am able to be available during my workday when most people are tethered to their office. This could mean having extra time to do housework throughout my day to free up the weekend, or be able to handle sick days without stress.
OUR
HOME
We live in a lovely area in upstate New York. This historic district was at one time voted the “coolest small town in America’’. We live in a very family-friendly area, with both of our parents living in the same town. The community is great, with TONS of festivals and events that they put on. It’s a quiet neighborhood with amazing neighbors. Our backyard is one of our favorite places. It overlooks a beautiful river – the view is amazing. We love to go out there and relax, and watch the seasons change.
- MEET OUR -
furry friends
We have a dog, rabbit, and a hamster. We named the rabbit and the hamster Boo, so we now lovingly call them Boo 1 (hamster) and Boo 2 (rabbit). Our dog’s name is Jasper and he is a papillon/chihuahua mix. Jasper is 11 years old- but still thinks he is a puppy sometimes. All three animals LOVE to just cuddle and get attention.
- A FEW OF OUR -
FAVORITE THINGS
SEASONAL ACTIVITY
JESSICA: Visiting pumpkin farms in the fall
AIDEN: Seeing Christmas lights in winter
DESSERT
JESSICA: Cookie Cake
AIDEN: Ice Cream & Oreos
PLACE TO TAKE A CHILD
JESSICA: Anywhere with
animals
AIDEN: Exploring the world
VACATION SPOT
JESSICA: Catalina Island
AIDEN: Anywhere in nature
HOBBY
JESSICA: Dancing
AIDEN: Woodworking
HOLIDAY
JESSICA: Halloween
AIDEN: Thanksgiving
the
VIllage
that raised us
Not only do we live in a beautiful village, we also have a “village” for support. Jessica has two very strong amazing mothers that live one block away from our home. One is in manufacturing, the other is an elementary teacher. Aiden’s mother is a computer engineer. She has an apartment less than a mile from our home, but splits her time there, in Florida, and has a home in Tennessee. Jessica has two younger sisters. Both live within an hour or so of our home. One sister is a dance teacher, the other is an accountant. Our families meld together so well. Our moms enjoy hanging out when Aiden’s is in town. We also believe strongly in the bond of the extended family that we have created. One of our good friends graced us with a god daughter who is getting so big! She is so smart, and is growing into such a little woman. We love to entertain and have parties at our house, and when we do all of the above are invited – the more the merrier. They have all supported us fostering, and now stand with us in our decision to adopt. Our “village” has welcomed all the foster children we have had with open arms, offering nothing but embrace and love to anyone within our home.
- OUR -
THOUGHTS ON
Parenting
Our approach to parenting is through kindness and communication. We have witnessed first-hand the benefit of talking through the struggles of navigating growing up from a little one’s perspective. We have watched as the frustration has dissipated when a child in our care feels heard and understood even when he can’t say the words.
We own our current home that stands on a large piece of property, with a swing set in the backyard and more room to grow. We both hold stable positions that offer financial stability and continue to progress in our careers with continuous income growth as our tenure increases. Offering stability is our biggest goal, having both lived through times of uncertainty long ago, and never wanting any child in our home to face those fears. We understand the psychological and developmental importance of ensuring that any child with us has a stable home, source of food, and unconditional fountain of love.
our
promises
TO YOU
Your child would be unconditionally and unendingly loved and cared for. With Aiden being a transgender man, we know firsthand how important having reassurance of support can be, and expect to provide the same for our children. We have strong values of living with kindness and helping others, and will undoubtedly install these values in any child with us. We will encourage creativity and self-expression, allowing a child to be their absolute self without any change or judgment. We simply cherish the opportunity to be a part of their lives and lead them toward wanting to improve the world.
In choosing us to raise your child, know that this doesn’t have to be the end of this chapter in your life – we embrace your choice to want to maintain a relationship between you and your child or not. We will accommodate what you are comfortable with. Allowing us to bring your child into our home and family would fill our hearts and homes with such joy. Thank you for taking this time to give us a chance.
WE WOULD LOVE TO
HEAR FROM YOU!
