Rooted in Experience. Growing with Purpose.

The Grove began with three foster moms who have experienced firsthand both the beauty and the challenges of foster care.

Through our own journeys, we've seen the incredible difference meaningful relationships and intentional support can make. We've also experienced the gaps that leave resource families feeling overwhelmed and children without the stability and connections they need.

Those experiences brought us together around a shared vision: to help more families open their homes to children in foster care and build an agency where families are equipped, supported, and connected every step of the way.

Why The Grove?

In a grove of trees, roots grow together beneath the surface, forming an interconnected system that shares resources and helps each tree grow stronger. Though each tree stands individually, none grows entirely alone.

We believe the same should be true in foster care.

Children flourish when the people surrounding them are connected and working together. Resource parents, biological parents, social workers, therapists, service providers, and community members each play an important role. When those relationships are rooted in trust, collaboration, and a shared commitment to the child, meaningful support becomes possible.

This is the heart behind our name.

We envision The Grove as a community where relationships run deep, collaboration is intentional, and no one is expected to grow alone. From the families we serve to the team we build, we want to cultivate the kind of connection that allows children, families, and communities to flourish.

What Guides Us

Our Mission

To facilitate permanency for Bay Area children and youth in foster care, prioritizing family reunification when possible, through nurturing relationships, therapeutic care, and practical support.

Our Vision

A safe, loving home for every Bay Area child.

What Grounds Us

The Grove was founded by three foster moms whose Christian faith has deeply shaped the way we see and serve others. We believe every person has inherent dignity and value, that we are called to love our neighbors, and that meaningful relationships have the power to bring hope and healing.

While our faith inspires our work, The Grove is committed to welcoming and serving children, families, and communities of all backgrounds and beliefs. Our values reflect both the convictions that brought us together and the commitments we strive to live out in everything we do.

Our Values

Better Together

Fulfilling our mission is bigger than any one person or program. We welcome the unique role that counties, providers, nonprofits, churches, and volunteers play to match families and foster kids with the help they need to flourish.

Serve with Grace

Compassion and humility mark our service. We recognize the inherent dignity of every person and walk alongside families in crisis without judgement or presumption.

Embrace the Tension

This work holds both joy and sorrow, laughter and tears. We hold hope for restoration and persevere in the midst of pain and disappointment.

Level Up

Quality honors those we serve. We strive for excellence, committed to continuous improvement through learning, adapting, and applying research-based practices, because every family deserves the best care.

Meet the Founders

Kristin Serdahl

Kristin became a licensed foster parent in 2022 and has since welcomed three children, ages 3 to 9, into her home. Her heart for foster care is rooted in her faith and the belief that Jesus calls His followers to care for the vulnerable. For Kristin, fostering is a meaningful way to put that faith into action.

Through her experience, she has developed a deep commitment to family reunification and a passion for equipping and supporting foster parents. She believes that strong support systems help resource families foster for the long haul without burning out. Her hope for The Grove is to build a community where children and families are strengthened through meaningful relationships and intentional care.

Kristin loves spending time outdoors, traveling internationally, reading, and enjoying quality time with friends and family.

Executive Director

Kashelle Bruce

Co-Director of Family Services

Kashelle and her husband Jeff stepped into foster care with a desire to provide a safe harbor for children in need. Since then, they have welcomed children ranging from infants to 17-year-olds into their home. Along the way, Kashelle has experienced the joy of helping families reunify, as well as growing her family through adoption from foster care.

Over time, her heart has grown to embrace not only children in foster care, but also their families of origin. She cares deeply about seeing restoration and healing within families and is passionate about championing reunification whenever possible.

Kashelle loves a crowded house, a good mystery novel, and sharing a good laugh with friends.

Casey Ottinger

Casey never imagined becoming a foster mom. A lover of predictability and calm, she initially preferred supporting foster families from the sidelines. But through providing respite care and the encouragement of close friends who were fostering, God began changing her plans, stretching her faith and deepening her capacity to love.

Casey and her husband Glen have four children—three biological and one adopted through foster care. She has a special heart for teen moms and the beautiful opportunity to invest in two generations through imperfectly modeling motherhood.

She loves adventures in nature, meaningful conversations, and a good book.

Co-Director of Family Services

Meet the Board