How You Can Make a Difference in Foster Care

May is National Foster Care Month—an opportunity to raise awareness about the needs of children and youth in need of permanent families and supporting kinship caregivers, foster parents, and child welfare professionals. According to the latest numbers from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there are more than 325,000 children and youth in the U.S. foster care system, with more than 65,000 of those children and families eligible for adoption. At Show Hope, we want to see every child thrive and flourish, and we encourage you to prayerfully consider how you might step into foster care, helping children and youth in need of safety and security as well as hope and healing. The following are some ways you can make a difference in foster care, not just this month but all year long. 

Pray.

The greatest gift one could share is that of prayer. It is something we, at Show Hope, do not take lightly. You can pray for children and youth in foster care. Pray for birth parents as well as foster parents. You can also pray for child welfare professionals as well as those serving in the judicial system. Remember to also pray for churches, ministries, and organizations that are serving children and families impacted by foster care. This is not meant to be an exhaustive listing; instead, we encourage you to begin praying regularly and specifically for our foster care system as a whole.

Serve a family.

Connect with a foster care family in your church, your neighborhood, or your community, and begin serving them on a regular basis. This might look like dropping off a weekly meal, stepping in to do chores around their house, and even babysitting monthly. This also looks like simply being a friend to Mom or Dad who may need a listening ear and someone to process life with, or serving a family can also mean stepping in as a mentor to the children and youth. If you are not familiar with a family, talk with your pastor or church staff, neighbors, or even a teacher at a local school.

Organize a “needs” closet or bin.

Your local church is prime for making a difference in the lives of foster families. A great opportunity you have is to create a list of ongoing needs for families, have your church community purchase items, and keep the “needs” closet or bin filled for families in need. Whether it is infant care essentials, toiletries for teens, or even clothing items, this can be a game-changer for families, especially when they first welcome a child into their home.

Get involved.

There are ministries and organizations—both locally and nationally—that are daily impacting foster children and families, with no shortage of opportunities to serve or support. One such organization is America’s Kids Belong. With a footprint in the Southeast to Colorado, America’s Kids Belong helps children and youth in foster care find belonging as well as supports foster families as they do the hard work of standing the gap for children.

Become a CASA or GAL.

If you are looking for an opportunity to serve children more directly, a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) or GAL (Guardian ad Litem) is appointed by a judge to advocate for the best interests of children and youth. The advocacy work of a CASA or GAL helps ensure that children are safe and have a permanent home, with the end goal of seeing children and youth flourish. To learn more, visit the National CASA/GAL Association for Children’s website.

Provide respite care.

Another opportunity to serve children and families more directly is through respite care. Respite foster care is short-term care for children in foster care that allows primary foster parents a needed break, whether to reduce stress, handle emergencies, or simply attend to personal commitments. Respite foster care typically lasts a few days or a weekend, and it helps prevent caregiver burnout and supports more stable foster care placements. Each state has its own guidelines and training for those seeking to provide respite care, so begin exploring by checking with your state’s departments of children’s services and/or human services.

You have the opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus to children and youth impacted by foster care. Whether it is directly or indirectly, there are needs to meet in your own backyard and across the U.S. This month, we invite you to step into their stories and make a lasting difference in the lives of children and youth impacted by foster care.