Our Story
Meet David & Kelly Wagner
David and Kelly Wagner live in Missouri with their seven children.
Many years ago, when Kelly was a young girl, God placed on her heart that one day she would build her family by adopting through foster care. When she and David met, she shared her dream with him, to which he replied, "I love you Kelly, and it makes no difference where our children come from!"
This year marks the celebration of 30 years of marriage, and a fulfilled dream of building their family through both birth and adoption.
Their story is marked by trusting God through trials of infertility, stillbirth, and years of waiting for their turn at "forever" with their two adopted children. Over the last 15 years, the Wagners have supported countless other parents in their own journeys to support the foster, adopted, and biological children in their homes. Out of these years, Rooted Families was born!
It is the Wagners' mission to see T.I.P.S. hosted by the local church in cities around the nation.
Abby Wagner
Abby is David and Kelly's oldest daughter. At age 8 she watched as her parents embarked on this fostering journey and learned by observing that implementing the right tools truly could change the lives of her foster and adopted siblings.
Over the years as she matured, a passion to learn more grew within her. She studied how trauma affects the brain, and what tools are required to reverse the damage done to help children find healing and freedom from their pasts.
Her passion now is to partner her first hand experience from growing up alongside these foster and adopted siblings, and the knowledge of how to affectivly sooth a child's brain. Her passion is to help children begin the process of healing, growth, and deliverance from situations that should never have happened in their young lives.
Abby currently serves as the Office Administrator and Children's Director for Rooted Families.