May is National Foster Care Month. Over 400,000 children are placed in the foster care system nationwide each year. In our local community, nearly 700 children are in foster care. There are many opportunities to help. Child & Family Services is the first step in being a part of a child’s success story, and we are grateful to everyone who has answered the call for children in care.
Foster care can be with a family member or trusted adult that the child knows. We encourage families caring for their own to contact us and learn about the resources our program can provide to you. Whether you are directly related to a child or a family friend providing care to a child, you may qualify for Kinship Foster Care or Family Preservation supports.
We also need families willing to help children with medical or behavioral needs, welcome teenagers into their home, or siblings. Adversity and challenging life events like the pandemic have hindered some families from coming forward to become a foster family. Still, the need for children to find a safe, supportive, loving home has not changed.
While we continue to recruit foster families who can create diverse experiences and share their love and support, we celebrate and honor our current foster families this Foster Care Month. They have opened their homes to children in need of love, safety, and permanency. Our families dedicate themselves, their time, and their patience to put others first. They are resilient through each circumstance they face. Their continued commitment is admirable and greatly appreciated.
With Thanks,
Morgan Schumacher
Foster Care and Adoption Program Manager for Child & Family Services