Here’s Why Foster Parents Need And Deserve Our Community’s Support
Foster families can go from two kids at the dinner table to five around the breakfast table – a transition that starts with a late-night phone call, followed by scared, sleepy kids showing up on the doorstep, and foster parents who will say “Yes,” to setting aside comfort and routine for a while to stand in the gap with vulnerable kids.
Sadly, nationwide nearly half of foster parents who go through the effort to become certified stop fostering within the first year, often due to a lack of social support.
Kentucky is working to launch Foster Friendly Communities across our state, a people-centric community initiative that activates businesses, faith communities, nonprofits and elected leaders to create conditions where foster families and kids thrive, connected via our open-source platform, the Foster Friendly App.
Here’s how that looks in practice:
- The mayor issues a proclamation committing to create a Foster Friendly Community where there are more than enough families for kids in care, and where others provide support to ensure those families thrive.
- A faith community gets the word when a family takes a new placement and shows up with groceries, takes over mowing the lawn and provides trauma-aware volunteers to help with babysitting .
- Local news spotlights the positive impact of local foster families on the lives of kids.
- Local restaurants offer discounts on kids’ meals, along with the zoo, children’s museum and other local hotspots.
- Kids in foster care can enjoy discounts on practical needs like haircuts, school supplies and shoes, as well as special experiences like a photography sitting, birthday party and more.