The Wichners

Embracing QPI to benefit everyone

Donna and Russ Wichner live in the quiet rural town of Sandstone, Minnesota. They have chickens running around the coop outside, cows in the pasture and their dog, Oreo, barking a welcome as you pull in the dirt driveway. They have been foster parents for years, seeing many kids come through their doors.

They provide care, healing and love for each of these children. Donna and Russ truly embrace the Quality Parenting Initiative (QPI) way, seeing a close partnership between them, caregivers and agency as making the best outcomes for children. They are willing to go the extra mile to ensure that children know that groups of caring adults gather around a child, and that it is not one person who lifts a child, but the village doing it together.

Currently, Donna and Russ have a child that is being raised by their grandparent. Donna and grandparent have formed a close working relationship together. Donna and grandparent ride together to the child’s med appointment, go to school events together and even attend after school scouts together. Donna has opened her home for the grandparent to have supper with them, do craft nights with the other sibling of the child and provide a listening ear of support for grandparent as needed. Donna has also offered to be a respite provider for the child’s siblings for the children to spend time together and give grandparent a break for good self-care.

Donna has a sweet nurturing way with children as Russ provides an excellent role model relationship to the ever-watchful eyes of their foster kids. They demonstrate how a loving and healthy home operates as well as how to be a teammate to caregivers and guardians. We are proud to have them champion QPI values and demonstrate an excellence in caregiving within our agency.