May is National Foster Care

Each May, we salute the compassionate people who make a different by serving as foster parents, relative caregivers, mentors, advocates, social workers, and volunteers. Thanks to these unsung heroes, many formerly abused or neglected children and teens will safely reunite with their parents, be cared for by relatives, or be adopted by loving families.

But some children in foster care are less fortunate.

Most communities across the country are urgently seeking more everyday people to help these youth overcome their troubled childhoods and realize their full potential. No matter what their age, every young person in foster care benefits from a meaningful connection to a caring adult who becomes a supportive and lasting presence in his or her life.

The fact sheet.

Currently, 463,000 children in the United States are in foster care because their own families are in crisis and unable to provide for their essential well-being. Many children in care are unable to return home safely because their parents lack access to services that could help strengthen families

The need.

No matter their age, all youth in foster care need a meaningful connection to at least one caring adult who becomes a supportive and lasting presence in their lives. Without families or stable relationships, too many of these formerly neglected and/or abused children and teens will end up facing life’s challenges all alone.

The consequences.

Research shows that young people who age out of foster care are far more likely than their peers in the general population to endure homelessness, poverty, compromised health, insufficient education, unemployment, incarceration, early pregnancy and parenthood.

The call for action.

No matter how much time you have to give, you have the power to do something positive that will CHANGE A LIFETIME for a young person in foster care.