Did you know that children in your community or the child sitting next to your own child at school may need a foster family? Children and youth in foster care are frequently separated not only from their families but also from their friends, schools, and communities due to lack of local resources.
By becoming a foster parent, you, your neighbors and other community members make it possible for a child to stay in the same school and participate in other regular activities such as sports, church, scouts, and other familiar activities.
Successful foster parents have two things in common: they have a desire to help children, and they are flexible – they know how to roll with the punches. Most importantly, foster families need to provide safe, stable and caring homes for children.
Utah Needs Foster Parents
- There are approximately 2,700 Utah children currently in foster care and only about 1,400 foster families
- Children who age out of foster care without experiencing a strong family setting are far more likely to experience unemployment, early pregnancy, homelessness and incarceration than their peers
- Utah is in need of various foster families with children coming from increasingly diverse cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds and speaking a variety of languages
Rewards
You can expect many personal rewards such as:
- Protecting children from harm
- Serving as a strong adult role model for the youth
- Making a positive difference in a child’s life
- Helping children feel valued and good about themselves
- Learning and using new parenting and communication skills
If you think fostering may be right for you, please read more about how you can make a difference in the life of a child or youth in foster care. You can also contact us for any more additional information.
