Supporting Foster Families In Your Area

“I used to think you had to be special for God to use you, but now I know you simply need to say yes.”  ― Bob Goff, “Love Does”

The more than 200,000 foster families around the United States all play a vital role in supporting children during a difficult time in their lives. They open their heart and home to children in need of a support system, a loving home, and a safe space to just be a kid. 

Becoming a foster parent is not for everyone but there are a variety of meaningful ways you can wrap around foster families in your area. Here are 10 ways you can support foster families throughout the year: 

Bring them meals or snacks

Prepare a yummy lunch or dinner for a family, stock their freezer with several meals, or pack a basket full of snacks they’ll enjoy.

Help them with lawncare and other chores

You can bless a family just by helping with day-to-day chores such as mowing their lawn. That is one less item on their to-do list that allows them to focus more on their family.

Help with transportation

Children in the foster care system often have a significant number of additional appointments, so providing rides for visits, after-school activities, and appointments can be a huge blessing.

pray

Pray for the child or children in foster care, strength and support for their foster parents, biological families, and the biological children of the foster parents.

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” ~James 1:27 

check in with them

Parenthood in general can be busy and stressful at times. Foster parents may feel that way too, in addition to the complexity that comes with fostering, it can be overwhelming. Sometimes a simple phone call to see how they’re doing makes a world of difference for foster parents. A text message with an encouraging emoji, or even sending a card via snail mail may be the encouragement they need after a full day.

Ask “how can i help?”

Sometimes those four words can make all the difference – and go a long way for foster parents. Having that conversation often can be a form of stress relief or may even help them identify needs that they haven’t realized.

donate supplies

Families can foster children of varying ages and genders over time, so the supplies they need may change often. Ask the family what supplies they need, especially for new placements. Check with your local office to see what they need the most.

go grocery shopping

Offer to help with their grocery shopping for the week. Have them send you their list and pick up what they need. Utilize popular grocery delivery services and send extra items with fun treats for both kids and the parents.

offer to clean their house

Cleaning is often a chore that gets put on the back burner when life gets hectic. Sometimes there are just more important things to focus on! Foster parents may just need a hand in cleaning the house one week… a simple act that will ultimately help them feel less stressed. 

Invite them over for dinner or a playdate

Warmth and hospitality, and welcoming a child into a bigger community, is a powerful way to show Christ’s love to both the child and the family and a great way for everyone to unwind. Foster children need to see healthy adult relationships too. The way that adults in their lives handle the everyday stresses is an excellent way to model for them. Family friends, community involvement and church activities are good for all of us. You can be an integral part of the nurturing and the leadership part of fostering just by modeling good friendships.  

While not everyone is called to become a foster parent, everyone can do something. Instead, you can use your unique gifts, passions, or resources to bless foster families in your area.

contact your local bair office

If you would like to learn more about how you can help further, find your local Bair office here.