Be the Change You Wish to See: Celebrating Foster Care Awareness Month

Close your eyes and imagine an innocent little girl. Envision her being neglected; distrusting of men and abandoned by her very own mother.

Heartbreaking. Unthinkable. Gut-wrenching.

Neglect and abuse is occurring every day. There are over 400,000 children in the foster care system in the U.S., according to AFCARS (Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System). In New Hampshire alone there are approximately over 900 children in the system, and on any given day there are 25 children waiting to be adopted like Jordan, who was featured on NH Chronicle (Department of Child, Youth and Family Services).

Mahatma Gandhi said, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world”.

Garrett and Laurie, a local Seacoast couple, are changing the world for that little girl I described. No longer does she worry and ask “when is Mommy coming home” while Laurie has an appointment. She doesn’t shy away from Garrett now; trust and love have replaced her fear. They adopted two little boys, Christian and Aidan, through foster care in 2014. The progress these children have made is remarkable. Their lives were altered when they joined their forever family. Consider Laurie’s perspective: “I think kids really need stability in their lives and so many of the kids in care just don’t have it. In turn, they are not trusting and don’t feel safe. It only takes a little bit of stability and consistency to get them back to feeling safe and cared for!”

May is Foster Care Awareness month; a time to thank those helping our community and to highlight the cause. Each year, an average of 1,000 children enter the foster care system in New Hampshire; however, only about 600 foster homes are available. The system is in dire need for more people to offer themselves for service. Perhaps you are not aware that you are qualified to help. Whether you are a young family or single adult household you can offer stability and security to a child. Unfortunately, Granite State children are in need more than ever with our current climate.

“The drug epidemic in our State has increased the need for emergency foster care and we need new foster families to answer this demand,” says Kathleen Companion, DCYF Foster Care Manager. “We need families of all levels of experience for all ages and abilities of children. A foster parent can be married, partnered, or single. They can own or rent their home. They can have their own children or be new to parenting.”

There are many ways to help and get involved. Perhaps you are not able to care for a child in your home but have a desire to aid your local community. Here are different avenues that are available:

• Mentor/Activity Leader

Connect with youth and help them learn new skills, develop confidence, and prepare for positive re-entry into the community. Volunteer at the Sununu Youth Services Center in Manchester, Pine Haven Boys Center in Allenstown, Chase Home in Portsmouth, Dover Children’s Home, OrionHouse in Newport, or Webster House in Manchester. Contact Kelly Riley at Community Connect Mentor and Activities Program for more information and locations.

• Court Appointed Special Advocate

Serve as an advocate for abused and neglected children in the New Hampshire court system and represent their perspective as a CASA volunteer. Anyone 21 years of age who has earned their high school diploma or GED can apply.

• Community and Faith Based Initiatives

Volunteer your time, donate, help with emergency assistance for furniture or send a child to camp by contributing to a scholarship fund. Bethany Christian Services is leading this cause in New Hampshire.

• Volunteer Host Family

Safe Families for Children is an alternative to foster care and is a new program in New Hampshire. As a volunteer, you are caring for a child that is willingly placed in your home by the parent. The court system is not involved in this process. There are many reasons a parent may place their child with a host family that range from financial instability, hospitalization, or domestic violence to name a few. Your compassion allows the parent(s) time to prepare a stable environment for their child.

• Foster and Adoptive Care

Provide a safe, stable, and temporary environment for a child in need. Whenever possible, the child is placed with a family member. 

If you wish to foster or adopt, you must complete the mandatory training. You can review the qualifications and necessary steps you must take in order to become a foster care parent. DCYF partners with Granite State College every semester to prepare foster families, and the summer session begins in July.

I would like to leave you with this thought from Kimberly, a single woman serving her community as a foster care parent. She continued to make excuses (I’m single, I’m a full-time teacher) until one day she felt if she had the means to help but didn’t, it was wrong.

“People often tell me they could never foster and give children back. My response: then, you would make a perfect foster parent; they need someone who will love them like they are theirs forever-even if only for a few days!”

Thank you to all who serve the children and young adults in our community! You are truly appreciated.