My Adoption & Fostering Story
This is the personal side of why OnRamp To Independence exists, and an open invitation to consider whether foster care or adoption might be right for your family.
Jeremy Seipel
Founder, Adoptive & Foster Parent
OnRamp To Independence started with a simple realization: not all teens in foster care get the same opportunities and experiences that most young people take for granted. I didn't just recognize this as a problem. I watched it unfold firsthand.
When I began spending time with a young person I'd eventually adopt, I was struck by how many basic things had never been taught to them. And later, when my wife and I opened our home as foster parents, I saw the same gap in my foster son. Different background, different circumstances, but the same missing foundation. These weren't character flaws or learning disabilities. They were opportunities that had simply never been there.
Here's what most people don't talk about: foster parents are already doing incredible work, often under impossible circumstances. They're stretched thin. They don't always have the extra time or bandwidth to teach everything a young person needs to know. And honestly, sometimes teenagers just don't want to learn from the adults caring for them, no matter how well-meaning those adults are.
I've had a heart for kids in the system for a long time. My wife and I wanted to foster and adopt even before we were married. But actually walking through it, actually living it, changed everything about how I understand the problem. I learned about myself. I learned about the kids and their real needs. And I learned where the foster care system falls short, and where we as a community could do better.
That's why OnRamp exists. It's not a replacement for family. Nothing is. But it can be a bridge. A consistent adult. A real plan. The tools and mentorship that every teen deserves but not every teen gets automatically. My experience as a foster and adoptive parent isn't a credential on my resume. It's the reason this work exists at all.
More Open Doors. More Changed Lives.
Serving teens who are already in or aging out of the foster system is the primary mission of OnRamp To Independence. But I'd be leaving something out if I didn't say this plainly: the single most important thing for a child in the system is a permanent family.
There are thousands of children in Georgia right now who need a foster home. Many of them will never be adopted. Some will age out at 18 having never experienced what a stable, committed family feels like. That affects everything: their mental health, their choices, their future.
I'm not here to pressure anyone. Fostering and adoption are serious commitments that require real preparation and honest self-reflection. But if you've ever felt a pull toward it, if the idea has stayed with you, I want to invite you to at least explore it. The resources below are a starting point. And my door is open if you want to talk to someone who's lived it.
Helping teens in the system is our core mission.
But attracting more foster and adoptive parents, especially adoptive parents, is the long-term change we hope this organization helps create. Every family that opens its door is one fewer teen who faces adulthood alone.
Where to Start in Georgia
These organizations serve Cherokee County and the broader Georgia area. If you're curious about fostering or adoption, or supporting a youth who is aging out, these are the right doors to knock on first.
The Georgia Division of Family and Children Services manages the state's adoption program. Start here to learn about the process, requirements, and children available for adoption in Georgia.
A national organization with state-specific resources connecting prospective foster and adoptive parents with children who need permanent homes. Georgia chapter with local listings and family profiles.
Georgia's independent living program for youth aging out of foster care. If you're a young person or a family supporting one, this is a direct gateway to state-provided transition services.