Everyone Can Play a Part
We desperately need more foster and adoptive families, but change doesn’t stop there. We know the task can be overwhelming, so we have identified 5 major areas of need within the foster care system. When there is adequate support and volunteers within all these 5 categories, then we can confidently say that we are working to solve the foster care crisis. What role will you play?
- 1400 kids in foster care in Travis, Willamson, Hays Counties
- Foster homes are most needed for children age 6 and over
- Children in care can move on average 6 times not due to the system, but because the foster family is not prepared to care for the child
- Moving and inconsistent care can cause more trauma in a child than the original abusive environment
- Minority ethnic group children over 2 years old have a greater risk of aging out of the system than being adopted
- An estimated 250 children are available for adoption– many are sibling groups or teens
- Adoption from the foster care system costs little to nothing
- All children, no matter if adopted at infancy, will have trauma, but all children can reach dramatic levels of healing through trauma-informed parenting
- Over 70% of children in care will return to their biological families
- After ensuring safety, the State’s top priority is to return children to their families
- Biological families need more support than State requirements to break cycles of abuse, poverty, addiction, etc
- Most children in foster care have parents who were also in foster care
- Teens are given the choice at 18 to extend their time in foster care until 21 or they can leave
- 40% of those who age-out are homeless in the first year
- 66% are incarcerated in the first year
- 70% of females are pregnant by their 21st birthday
- Long-term relationships are required to change the future of aged-out teens
- There are many opportunities to serve foster and adoptive families including CASA, meals, mentoring, prayer, babysitting certification, financial support for camps or sports, backpack drives, compassion for foster/ adoption families, etc
- Isolation is often a family’s first and most problematic response when they are in crisis with a child
Find Your Role
Families are the primary source of healing for hurting children. Whether you’re a foster or adoptive parent or want to support those who are, your role is vital to fostering hope and healing in the life of a child with difficult beginnings.
Attend an 'I Said Yes: Introduction to Foster Care'
Whether you’re caring for a child or providing support to a family who does, your role is vital to fostering hope and healing for kids from hard places. We want to help you get involved, surround you with meaningful support, and equip you with practical trauma-informed strategies. Attend an 'I Said Yes' training to learn more about the 5 Needs in the Foster Care Community and how you can play a vital role in caring for a child and family.
Brett Millican, Adoptive Dad
Fostering Hope has given me the confidence and tools to be confident on how I can lead [my child] through her moments in a way that connects, instead of getting frustrated
Beverly Morris, Kinship Guardian
Once I started taking classes with Fostering Hope and I learned to deal with their behavioral issues, that's when everything changed.