May is National Foster Care Month...You Can Change a Lifetime!
All children — including the 463,000 American children and youth in foster care — deserve a safe, happy life. Young people in foster care especially need nurturing adults on their side because their own families are in crisis and unable to care for them.
Each May, we salute the compassionate people who make a difference by serving as foster parents, relative caregivers, mentors, advocates, social workers, and volunteers. Thanks to these unsung heroes, many formerly abused or neglected children and teens will safely reunite with their parents, be cared for by relatives, or be adopted by loving families.
But some children in foster care are less fortunate. Most communities across the country are urgently seeking more everyday people to help these youth overcome their troubled childhoods and realize their full potential. Take a look at a recent article from The Detroit Free Press, highlighting the need for more foster families. No matter what their age, every young person in foster care benefits from a meaningful connection to a caring adult who becomes a supportive and lasting presence in his or her life.
THE MAGNITUDE: Currently, 463,000 children in the United States are in foster care because their own families are in crisis and unable to provide for their essential well-being. Many children in care are unable to return home safely because their parents lack access to services that could help strengthen families. In addition, there are an estimated 12 million alumni of foster care in the U.S. representing all walks of life.
THE NEED: No matter their age, all youth in foster care need a meaningful connection to at least one caring adult who becomes a supportive and lasting presence in their lives. Without families or stable relationships, too many of these formerly neglected and/or abused children and teens will end up facing life’s challenges all alone.
THE FACES OF FOSTER CARE: Child welfare issues arise in families of every race, ethnicity, culture, and age group. A disproportionate percentage of youth in foster care are children of color, particularly American Indian and African American children. In addition, children of color in the child welfare system experience poorer outcomes.
THE CONSEQUENCES: Research shows that young people who age out of foster care are far more likely than their peers in the general population to endure homelessness, poverty, compromised health, insufficient education, unemployment, incarceration, early pregnancy and parenthood.
THE PRIORITY: Older youth are in most urgent need of attention. Nearly half of the young people in foster care are over the age of 10. During the last several years, the numbers of young people aging out of foster care have increased to nearly 30,000. These youths exit foster care without the appropriate family connections, resources, skills or options they need to live independently.
THE SOLUTION: Children and youth in foster care are capable of overcoming the repercussions of previous neglect and/or abuse. Across the country, people just like you are raising their voices and engaging in efforts to educate federal and state public policy leaders on the issues facing children and families. They are serving as their foster parents, relative caregivers, mentors, advocates, social workers and volunteers. Thanks to these unsung heroes, many formerly abused or neglected children and teens will either reunite safely with their parents, be cared for by relatives, or be adopted by loving families. Even better, many will not have to enter foster care if more states provide support and services to help families cope with crises early on.
THE CALL TO ACTION: Most communities are urgently seeking many more everyday people to come forward to help these young people realize their full potential. No matter how much time you have to give, you have the power to do something positive that will CHANGE A LIFETIME for a young person in foster care. Check it out and see what you can do, the projects are broken down amounts of time; a few minutes, a few hours, etc.
May is National Foster Care Month. Every state in our country has children in foster care. They belong to all of us. Now is the time to show we care. Visit www.fostercaremonth.org to find out more about the many ways you can get involved and make a lasting difference for America’s children.
Source: fostercaremonth.org
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