“I wish people knew that every kid needs just one person they can count on.”
– Sue Huggins Wise
How Does Foster Friendly Support Help Foster Parent Retention?
It costs more than $6,000 to train, equip and certify two foster parents.
Yet, close to 50 percent of certified foster parents quit within the first year.
40 percent of the time it is due to burnout and a lack of social support.
Caring for traumatized children is important and rewarding. It also can be stressful and isolating.
Loving kids in hard places also means opening your heart to grief and loss when it is time to let them go.
And inviting children into your home at a moment’s notice for an undetermined amount of time is disruptive and costly.
Imagine if when you said “Yes” to foster parenting you were greeted with:
1
A faith or civic organization shows up with care packages and groceries.
2
Local news reports stories focus on the positive impact of foster care on the lives of kids.
3
A governor, mayor and other political leaders prioritize improving the experiences and outcomes for kids in foster care.
4
Local restaurants offer discounts on kids’ meals. Local family fun destinations welcome foster families with group discounts. And a wide range of other businesses find ways to support activities of daily living.
5
Kids in foster care enjoy discounts on practical needs like haircuts, school supplies and shoes; as well as special experiences that might not otherwise be accessible to them, like a photographic sitting.
6
Friends and neighbors lean in when extra kiddos arrive to mow lawns, clean bathrooms, help with laundry and coordinate play dates.
America’s Kids Belong partners with communities across the country to equip them to become more Foster Friendly..
Find Foster Friendly Resources On Our Free App
America’s Kids Belong offers a Foster Friendly App that supports foster families.
It’s one thing for a business owner or a church to independently support local foster families. But what if technology brought all of those local supporters together in one place and brought those resources as close as a click away for foster families?
- Valuable services and discounts from area businesses offered exclusively to support foster parents
- Links to faith communities that are Foster Friendly
Download the Foster Friendly App now. Then search offers in your area. New offers are being added regularly, so be sure to check back often.
Get Your Foster Parent Discount Card
If you live in one of our participating states The foster parent discount card is your key to accessing the offers on the Foster Friendly App.
Get your foster parent discount card now.
What Businesses Do You Want To Invite To Become Foster Friendly?
Foster parents are among the most passionate and effective voices for recruiting businesses to join our Foster Friendly App. You are a customer and you understand the importance of community support to support foster families.
If you live in one of our participating states you can help recruit and nominate local businesses to join our app.
Is Your Faith Community Foster Friendly?
If you’re already part of a faith community, consider inviting them to become Foster Friendly. Faith communities nationwide are eligible to join our Foster Friendly App.
Here are some of the important ways faith communities can support foster care:
1
Teach about the intersection of foster care and faith to encourage more people to consider fostering, and to honor and encourage those who do.
2
Ensure their children and youth staff and volunteers are trauma aware.
3
Support a ministry for kinship and foster families. Examples include Foster Parents Night Out, Foster Parent Support Groups and Wrap Programs.
Our Foster Friendly Faith flyer highlights these best practices and provides resources to help your community take the next steps.
Share it with your leadership next weekend.
