Our History

Fostering Families Today has a long history with deep roots in the adoption community. In 1995, Richard and Annette Fischer, Fostering Families Today’s founders, adopted a 3-month-old girl from China. Two years later, Richard returned to China to adopt the couple’s second daughter, who was 8 months old. After going through that process, the couple founded Adoption Today magazine in 1998 to help connect other adoptive families to resources. After learning how few resources and training are provided to foster families, Richard created Fostering Families Today in 2001. 

Kim Phagan-Hansel joined the Fostering Families Today and Adoption Today staff in 2002 and ultimately became the editor of both publications. Founder Richard Fischer passed away in 2016, leaving an almost 20-year legacy of providing educational resources to foster and adoptive families. Adoption Today and Fostering Families Today were acquired by Los Angeles-based Fostering Media Connections in 2017, and Kim continued to serve as editor of the publications until transitioning to Fostering Media Connections’ director of sustainability in 2023. Sriya Chattopadhyay joined as editor of Fostering Families Today that year.

Over the years, Fostering Families Today and its leaders have received a number of awards, including the Angels in Adoption award from the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute and the Casey Excellence for Children Resource Parent Award from Casey Family Programs.
Both magazines were named Media Award Winners by the National Association of Social Workers, and in 2014 the magazine was recognized for its work in the adoption community by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, receiving an Adoption Excellence Award.