Celebrate May, National Foster Care Month

Established in 1988, National Foster Care Month helps raise awareness and secure additional support for the half a million American children who are in today’s foster care system. Initiated as an annual celebration of those making a difference in the lives of children and youth in foster care, it’s now extended its focus to include the children who wait in foster homes for permanent adoptive families, as well as those who are turning 18 and aging out of the system.

Find out more about the many ways you can get involved and make a lasting difference for America’s children:

Recognize
Honor the work of people making a difference in the lives of children in foster care. From foster parents and relative caregivers to mentors, advocates, social and child welfare workers, and volunteers, these unsung heroes are helping to ensure that many children and teens – whose own families are in crisis and unable to provide for their essential wellbeing – will safely reunite with their parents, be cared for by relatives, or be adopted by loving families.

Promote
Spread the word about National Foster Care Month and the year-round needs of youth in out-of-home care. Needs like more foster families, the importance of keeping siblings together and the benefit of allowing kids to stay within their own familiar communities. With an estimated 12 million alumni and 513,000 children and youth currently in the system, the need for compassionate people is growing every day. People who can help these youths overcome troubled childhoods, realize their full potential, build meaningful connections with supportive, caring adults, and make the transition to independent living.

Recruit
Foster care affects hundreds of thousands of children and families, as well as society as a whole. Encourage more citizens to get involved in the lives of these youth by recruiting support from different segments of the community, including church groups, educators and employers. It can mean the difference between a child who grows up to be a thriving adult and another who faces life’s challenges all alone.

Across the country and our region, people just like you are serving as foster parents, relative caregivers, mentors, advocates, social workers and volunteers. How can you make a difference in a child’s life? Visit the Become a Foster Parent section of The Village Network website. With May being National Foster Care Month, now’s the perfect time to show you care.