Who’s Josh?
When Joshua Graber was six years old, his family began providing respite and foster care to children from across the state—a decision that would profoundly shape his life. What started as a wish for a sibling turned into a home filled with new faces, new stories, and eventually, three adopted siblings who became family.
As his family grew, so did Josh’s understanding—not only of the impact of trauma on children, but also of the strengths and shortcomings of the foster care system meant to support the children and their foster families. In the midst of it all, he found himself navigating a unique and often unspoken role—the biological child in a home devoted to caregiving.
Why this Forum?
Josh will reflect on the beauty and complexity of foster care and adoption, the call for churches and communities to step in with care, and the importance of thoughtful preparation when opening a home to vulnerable children.
He shares how his experiences—as a brother, a son, and later, as a mentee of beloved teacher Stan Deen—inspired his life’s work advocating for under-served youth through the Stan Deen Foundation. Today, Josh works alongside Nate Deen, the subject of the film Brave the Dark, to empower vulnerable youth through education and the arts.
Join us for a discussion that is honest, hopeful, and deeply grounded in the belief that every child deserves to be seen and supported.
