Fostering is a family endeavor for the Hietpas household
By Rachel Kettner | For On Mission
LITTLE CHUTE — Dennis and Mel Hietpas say they never expected to foster or adopt children, but that God had a different plan for them and their family.
They were first introduced to the idea of fostering from their close family friends, Chad and Lydia Anderson.
“The rule used to be that if the Andersons traveled without their foster child(ren), the foster child(ren) would need to be left in the care of a licensed respite care provider,” Mel said. “Back in 2014, we looked into the prospects of what it would take to get licensed as respite care providers, as we thought we could be helpful to the Andersons.”
The couple, members of St. John Nepomucene Parish, found that the licensing process for respite care was essentially the same process as being licensed for foster care.
“Between being busy with life and given the fact that the rules had changed to ‘prudent parenting,’ where a foster family could leave a foster child with family or a trusted family friend, just as they would their own biological children, we put the licensing paperwork in our cupboard where it sat for about three years,” Mel said.
Dennis has three adult children from a previous marriage, Riley, 31; Elizabeth, 28; and Eric, 26. Elizabeth and her husband, Dave, have a son, Clark, who was born on June 20, 2024. Eric and his wife, Anna, also have a son, Lincoln, who was born on April 25, 2024.
One Friday night a few years ago before Dennis and Mel had their own grandchildren, the Hietpas family was sitting in their family room talking about how much fun it was spending time with the younger grandnieces and grandnephews.
“Somehow, the conversation evolved into the fact that we had this paperwork to be licensed for respite care/foster care sitting up in our cupboard,” Mel said. “Elizabeth and Anna immediately ran up and found that paperwork and brought it down to the family room and started reading through everything. We actually talked through each question as a family and Elizabeth and Anna started filling out all the paperwork.”
“Mel and I kind of laughed as we thought it was a fun exercise we were all going through. However, little did we know that when Elizabeth and Anna finished completing the paperwork, they brought it to us so we could review and sign everything,” Dennis said. “Their words were, ‘We’re going to do this as a family. We’re going to become a foster family!’ The key word that they used was ‘we’ as it was clear we were all going to be in this together. They made us promise that we’d deliver the completed paperwork to Outagamie County that next Monday morning, which we did.”
Seven months later, in June 2017, Mel and Dennis became fully licensed as a foster family in Outagamie County.
Their initial intent was only to foster. That changed when Ben (now 14) and Makenna (now 7) came to stay with them.
“Ben and Makenna first came into our home in July of 2017 through the foster care system when Ben was 7 years old and Makenna was just 6 months old,” Mel said. “We were initially told in July of 2017 that Ben and Makenna would be with us for approximately 60 days. We formally adopted them in September of 2023, so one thing we’ve learned is that despite the fact that there might be a plan in place, things can evolve and unfold in ways that you might not expect.”
“You never know how things are going to unfold,” Dennis said. “All we know going in is that our mission is to care for these kids, keep them safe and give them as much love, support and structure as we can while they’re under our roof.”
Despite the fact that only Mel and Dennis are licensed, they said fostering has brought the family closer together and been a family venture, just as Elizabeth and Anna said it would be back in 2017.
“All it took for us was a nudge,” Dennis said. “If you’re thinking about becoming a foster parent, let this serve as your nudge. There is such a huge need right now for foster families. We’ve seen firsthand the amount of time, energy and work that goes into this system.”
“If you’re considering fostering or helping in some way, know that you don’t have to have all the answers or be perfect,” Mel said. “What matters most is a willingness to care and provide a safe and loving environment. Every child deserves to feel valued and supported, and fostering is a unique opportunity to make that happen. Whether through respite care, advocacy or simply learning more about the system, there’s a way for everyone to contribute.”