For those of you who didn’t know, May is National Foster Care month, a chance to acknowledge foster parents, family members, mentors, volunteers, child welfare professionals, policymakers and other members of our community who help children and youth in foster care find permanent homes. With more than 400,000 children and youth in foster care in the United States , it is important to acknowledge these individuals to not only celebrate and thank them, but to spread the word about foster care and all that it does. National Foster Care month is sponsored by the Children’s Bureau, which was created in 1912 as an effort to aid child welfare. Before this, it was left to private and religious organizations.
In 1923, the bureau published Foster-Home Care for Independent Children, which addressed the growing preference of foster family care of child institutionalization.- Oversaw placement of more than 8,000 children from Europe in World War II.
- In 1972, Sponsored National Action for Foster Children Week, proclaimed in 1972 by Pres. Richard Nixon to raise awareness of children in foster care and recruit more foster parents.
- In 1988 President Reagan proclaimed May as National Foster Care month as a chance to increase awareness for the need for foster families and say thank you to those current foster families.
Have you thought of opening your home and fostering a child? We support you entirely! However, foster care is not something you can jump into or to be taken lightly. Training and education is involved. If you aren’t sure where to get started, the National Foster Care & Adoption Directory Search is a great place to start. You might be providing a child a temporary home, but they provide you with so much more.