Kate's passion for foster care and family support is rooted in both her personal and professional journey. From 2019-2025, she and her husband opened their home to children in foster care, ultimately adopting their two children through the system. Long before becoming a foster parent herself, foster care was woven into her story. First, as a child when her family cared for a relative through informal kinship care and later as an aunt to her nephews through foster care and adoption. These lived experiences give her deep empathy for children in crisis and for the families who step in to love and support them.

Kate holds a Master's degree in Trauma-Informed Education and, ironically, submitted her final assignment while at FILLED in 2022. Before relocating, she worked for a nonprofit in North Carolina supporting foster, kinship, and adoptive families and also led a Foster the Family support group. She is passionate about trauma-informed care, family preservation, and building strong networks of support so that every child and family knows they are not alone.

I am a native Washingtonian and I have been with my husband for over 20 years.  I have an extensive background in law enforcement and public policy with undergrad degrees in Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice and a Masters degree in Public Administration; however, my heart has always been in children services.  After wanting to expand my family and the huge need for forever homes in DC, my husband and I began our fostering journey in 2020.  Since then I have had the opportunity of not only adopting 4 children (2 sibling sets) and providing guardianship for my oldest child but also providing feedback to the administration and participating in stakeholder meetings as well as speaking and providing guidance to prospective Resource Parents.  My husband and I have fostered over 20 children and were awarded 2025 Foster Parent of the Year.

Jill Coppock has been lucky enough to make a career out of her passion for working alongside marginalized communities. As a social worker, Jill has worked the majority of her career in housing and homelessness with families and individuals. She is passionate about seeing families thrive and believes that comes through the support of the community. Jill is excited about her role as Program Coordinator with Foster the Family to ensure that families get the support and wrap-around services they need. Along with being a social worker, Jill has worked for over 10 years with the local church in missions and believes that the church has the resources to meet the needs of the community. A well-trained and caring volunteer can make all the difference in the lives of the families we serve. Jill lives in Northern Virginia with her husband Chris and is a step mom to 5 awesome kids. Jill loves anything outside and water-related, bringing her back to her California beach roots.

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Melanie and her husband, Doug live in Manassas, VA, and have been foster parents for about 9 years. She co-leads the Foster the Family support group in Prince William/Fauquier County and organizes the new stockroom there. Melanie is thrilled to be working with Foster the Family DC in supporting other foster/adoptive/kinship parents and the kids they serve. She believes everyone can do something to serve. Melanie loves reading aloud to her kids, animals of all kinds, and trying to convince her teens that her music is better.

Becca Beavers is a teacher, former foster parent and mother to four DC natives. Arriving in DC with plans to get a master’s degree and leave, by God’s grace she has now been here long enough to watch the Nationals win a World Series. As a teacher and foster parent, Becca has learned how to collaborate across differences and build toward community. Becca always has a book in her bag and another on her nightstand, will always say yes to another cup of coffee and loves to chase her rowdy bunch through National Parks.

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