May Is National Foster Care Month

May Is National Foster Care Month and as a former foster parent, I want to bring awareness to the good work that many of my fellow foster parents are doing to make a difference in the lives of children who have been removed from their biological parents.

There are over 391,000 children and youth in foster careMental and behavioral health is the largest unmet health need for these children and teens.  Many of these kids have experienced terrible traumas from physical or emotional abuse or may have been born exposed/addicted to various substances.

Relational permanency is fundamental to the well-being of children and youth in foster care. Having stable, nurturing placements has positive impacts on children and youth’s resilience and long-term well-being.

After adopting Morgan, Mason and Mia I stopped fostering and continue to work on advocating for my children on a daily basis.

How can you make a difference?

  1. Offer to babysit from time to time.
  2. Cook a meal for a family who has received a new placement
  3. Offer hand me downs to foster homes who are in need of varying sizes.
  4. Throw a foster shower for new foster parents.
  5. Make a donation to the local CASA/Guardian Ad Litem program.  They often provide scholarships for activities and Christmas gifts for children in care.
  6. For businesses, offer a discount to foster families.  We are a very loyal group.