Month in Review: May 2024
May was a busy month for us, with a total of 87 children referred to us and 5 placed in our homes! The children we placed ranged from a very tiny baby to a 17 year old. They also included one sibling group.
Here is a further breakdown of May’s stats:
Sibling Groups:
- 37 single children
- 14 sibling groups of 2
- 7 sibling groups of 3
- 1 sibling group of 4
Age Breakdown:
- 0-2: 9 children
- 3-5: 12 children
- 6-8: 15 children
- 9-11: 13 children
- 12-14: 20 children
- 15-17: 16 children
- 18+: 2 children
Current Needs:
When we receive a referral for a child needing a foster home, we sometimes have the opportunity to learn a lot about them in advance. This was certainly true of the teen – because he has already been in foster care for an extended time, he has a lot of documented history and a full child profile available. But many times, we have very little information available at the time of placement. This was true of the sibling group we placed. All we knew about these children was their ages, genders, names, and race. We didn’t know any information about whether they had been in foster care before, the reasons for them coming into care, their medical history, behaviors, likes and dislikes, family members, etc. Our family bravely said yes to these children, on a moment’s notice, without having all of the details. They are figuring it out as they go along, getting to know the children as they lovingly care for them.
Similarly, children don’t know much, if anything, about a foster family before they are placed there. They may be told the family’s name, location, and if they have any children or pets, but that leaves them with lots of unanswered questions: will the house be safe? Will the parents be kind? What kinds of food will they make me? Where will I sleep? Do they have fun toys? Do they have a backyard for me to play in?
Even though it is very scary for foster parents to say yes to children without knowing all of the details, it must be even scarier for a child who has no control of their situation. We are so thankful for the courage of our families who willingly enter into scary situations for the sake of children who don’t have a choice. We are in need of more families who are open to the unpredictable, unknown world of foster care – amazing foster families who will say yes on short notice to children who need loving and safe homes in emergency situations.
If you are interested in helping us to meet this critical need, please click here to learn more about becoming a foster parent.
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