May is Foster Care Awareness Month...So What?

There is a designated month for just about anything that you can think of. There are months for recognizing and honoring different heritages, social causes, health issues, careers, and random things that someone made up... like July is National Cell Phone Courtesy Month. *insert thinking face emoji* I won't share my thoughts on Cell Phone Courtesy Month but I will share my thought on May being National Foster Care Awareness Month. The need for loving foster care homes is greater than it's ever been and that is hard to image because I know how great the need was when were fostering 7 years ago. Children are coming into state care and, with no homes available, actually sleeping at Family Service offices. This is happening, even in my small town, rural area. You may say, this is awful, it makes me so sad, but I can't foster, I don't have the space, patience, desire, calling...the list could go on and on with reasons why you can't. However, foster care awareness isn't just about letting people know the need in hopes that they'll decide to become foster parents. There are so many small ways you can make a difference in someone's life who is affected by foster care. Here is a short list of ways you can do something this month to make someone in the trenches feel seen, encouraged, and loved:

1. Donate items to a local family service office. Contact the office and ask what they need. They always have needs, such as small toys for kids can use while on visits with their parents, like bubbles or sidewalk chalk, toiletries, children's books that highlight adoption, and more.

2. Make a meal for a foster family.

3. Take a foster parent or caseworker out to coffee...or bring coffee to them. Ask them how things are going and then just sit back and listen. Having a listening ear without judgment or advice is one of the greatest gifts.

4. Gift a foster family with gift cards to do family fun activities like bowling, or going to the movies.

5. Contact a program that works with kids who are transitioning out of foster care to living on their own to see what needs they may have that you can help with. Maybe even consider signing up to mentor of the the young people in their program.

6. Organize a drive to collect items for bags of encouragement for parents who have kids in care and are working their plans to be reunited with their children. Items that are good in the bags include a cozy blanket, socks, body wash and lotion, gift cards to use on their visits with their kids, or gas card to help with getting to visits and work.

Some of these suggestions take as long as it take to order something on Amazon and have it dropped shipped to an office. Some take a little more effort and time. All of them show appreciate for and encourage people in one of the greatest mission fields in the world.