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Jillana Goble

Brief Bio

Jillana Goble has been a foster mom, biological mom, and adoptive mom—in that order—since 2003. Many children have been seated around her table over the years, and five remarkable kids call her Mom today. Among Jillana's many roles, none have stretched and shaped her more than her parenting role, a journey on which there have been many unexpected detours. Jillana has the privilege of walking alongside other parents who find themselves in a different place than they previously envisioned. She is the founder of an initiative that has been the catalyst for Every Child Oregon, a statewide movement that has paved the way for unprecedented partnership between the community and the state's child welfare agency.

Full Bio

Jillana Goble has been a foster mom, biological mom, and adoptive mom—in that order—since 2003. She is a connector and collaborator who has walked an unlikely path in creating unprecedented relationships—with the children who have walked through her front door, their biological families, and the state's child welfare agency. She is the founder of an initiative that has been the catalyst for Every Child Oregon, a robust movement that has paved the way for unprecedented partnership between the community and Oregon's Child Welfare Program.

Jillana holds a master's degree in teaching English as a second language. She is a sought-after speaker on various topics relating to foster care, community partnership, adoption, special needs, and walking the suspension bridge between reality and hope. She continues to mentor and walk alongside many parents navigating this journey. Jillana and the biological mother of a child she fostered (and later adopted) regularly co-speak to state caseworkers, sharing their unlikely journey of collaboration over the past decade. She is regularly invited to share in the training classes prospective foster and adoptive parents take to become certified. Jillana also co-presents training for caseworkers about how to best engage with foster parents. She enjoys speaking, sharing, and continuing her learning at retreats and workshops. Jillana and her husband, Luke, have been married since 2000 and live in Portland, Oregon, with their family. Five remarkable kids, ranging in age from preteen to young adult, call her Mom. When not engaging with her family, Jillana enjoys drinking coffee—half-filled with cream—with friends at neighborhood coffee shops. Her favorite things include leaning in to engage others' real-deal stories, taking walks, and reading in the tub way too late at night.