Isaiah 117 House - Faith In Action with Kristi WhiteheadIsaiah 117 House - Faith In Action with Kristi Whitehead
Crossroads with Jenny Bushkell
Jenny Bushkell talks with Kristi Whitehead about how Isaiah 117 House changes the first hours of foster care by offering children a loving, faith-filled home setting. They share stories of reduced trauma, community support and the quiet power of saying yes to God’s call to care for vulnerable kids.
24:56•24 May 2026
Faith, Foster Care and a Little White House with a Red Door
Episode Overview
- Isaiah 117 House offers a cosy, homely space so children entering foster care are not left in sterile offices on removal day.
- Simple acts like baking, sharing a favourite meal and one-on-one attention help children feel seen and reduce trauma.
- The ministry also supports caseworkers emotionally, offering practical care, prayer and a safe place to exhale.
- Community generosity provides essentials and resources so foster families can say yes to placements and keep siblings together.
- Kristi highlights the need for Sabbath rest, prayer and family time to sustain long-term service in emotionally heavy work.
“"Our kids are deserving. They deserve for us to have our hearts broken over them."”
How do people find hope in the darkest times? This conversation on *Crossroads with Jenny Bushkell* turns the spotlight on children entering foster care and the people who stand in the gap for them. Jenny chats with Kristi Whitehead, Knox County Programme Director for Isaiah 117 House, a Christian ministry that offers a warm, homely place for children on the terrifying day they’re removed from their homes.
Instead of sitting for hours or days in a cold office, kids arrive at “a big cosy house where they felt really loved,” with volunteers, hot food, clean clothes and space to breathe. Kristi paints a vivid picture of what removal day can look like, calling it “trauma on top of trauma” for children who are suddenly told they can’t go home.
She shares moving stories, like the 12-year-old boy who designed shoes out of cardboard for his Ken doll and was amazed that strangers had paid for his favourite meal: “Buddy, outside of these doors, there are people that love you… and he said, ‘That’s about the coolest thing I’ve ever heard.’” You’ll hear how Isaiah 117 House aims to reduce trauma for kids, lighten the load for caseworkers, and support foster families so siblings can stay together.
Kristi also talks honestly about the emotional toll on staff and volunteers, the importance of prayer and Sabbath rest, and the “ripple effect” when a community decides its children are worth broken hearts and late nights. For anyone interested in healing generational hurt, supporting vulnerable kids, or putting faith into concrete action, this story shows how simple acts—baking cookies, listening to a child’s dreams, offering a hug and a prayer—can start to change a life.
It might leave you asking: what small yes could you offer today?
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