Our local kids have a big need right now. Many local agencies don’t have enough licensed foster parents to take in the children in their care. Kids are sleeping in offices or hotel rooms with their workers. Siblings are being separated. Delaware is seeing 38% more children coming into care. Pennsylvania and many other local states are seeing similar rises in reports to child protective services and substantiations since summer of 2021.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
We can do something to help.
The best way you can help is by becoming a licensed foster parent and making sure that a child in need has a safe place to land.
Not all of us are in a position to foster, but there are lots of other ways you can help.
Make sure a child has their basic necessities covered by donating to Andrew’s Closet. Right now we are in need of new or gently used clothing, 5-point harness booster seats, and gift cards. Gift cards help us allow older youth to pick out their own clothing or provide a meal to a foster family. Or check out our Amazon wish list.
Volunteer as a Court Appointed Special Advocate. Meet with a child in foster care and help represent their best interests at court.
Make sure that current foster parents continue to be able to keep their home open to children. Support a foster family that you know. If you don’t know one, reach out to us and we can connect you with an organization that can.
Attend our Caregiver Training May 15. Learn more about how trauma impacts the brain and how you can interact with the kids in your life with that in mind. This is a great opportunity for children’s ministry workers, folks who would like to babysit for friends that foster, teachers, or anyone who wants a greater understanding of a trauma-informed approach.
There are more than enough resources in our community to ensure that every child has a safe place to land. You can help us make sure those resources get to a child in need.