Springfield, IL (WAND) – For Hannah Knight, the desire to become a foster parent started in high school. One of her friends entered foster care, and it was hard for her to imagine other kids in the community needing help.
As she got older, she knew she wanted to foster. But there were several obstacles in her way.
“I had a lot of fears as a single person jumping into foster care, and then I realized that the impact I could make was greater than the fears I had,” Knight said. “I want the kids in our community to know that they are cared for and they are seen, and that is the mission I am on.”
Knight started the process to become a foster parent when COVID-19 hit. When she first started fostering, she would sleep on her couch to make sure she had enough bed space for siblings to stay in the same home.
Eventually, she connected with the James Project, a nonprofit in Springfield. They provide wrap-around services for foster parents. For example, if Knight gets a call at 11 p.m. that a newborn needs a place to stay, a volunteer from the James Project will bring a crib, bedding, clothing, diapers, or other things as soon as possible.
“Foster care has a lot of unknowns, and living in the unknown expectations of foster care is a little bit easier, and we can be flexible knowing that we have a community like the James Project behind us,” Knight said.
The James Project even helped Knight find a larger home, with more space for groups of foster siblings. Through support groups hosted by the organization, Knight has learned how to be a better foster parent and ensure each kid who enters her home feels love.
Knight wants other people like her, who have a passion for helping kids but don’t know how to start, to see fostering as an option.
“I wish people could believe that they can do hard things, especially when it comes to loving a child and providing a safe space for them to heal, and that they can love a family that is going through a really hard time,” Knight said. “When they show up, even in their moment of chaos, in their moment of pain, it is so humbling that we get to provide a space for them and to hear them out and to see them.”
As of Oct. 31, 2025, there were 518 children in DCFS care in Sangamon County, 202 of those children are in foster homes.
The James Project is a non-profit organization based in Springfield. For more details on the organization, you can check their website.
