[NancyAshe]

There are more than half a million children in foster care in the U.S., and it's estimated that 48 percent live in family foster homes. Foster parents provide a temporary, safe home for children in crisis. They are part of the child's support, treatment, and care programs. They are partners of the child's social worker, attorney, teachers, and doctors. Being a foster parent is not a passive act of opening one's home and providing food, clothing, and shelter. It is a proactive statement of nurturing, advocacy, and love.

This month is a time to

• recognize foster parents and child welfare workers;
• build awareness of the pressing need for foster families, the importance of keeping siblings together and keeping kids in their communities;
• bring to the forefront of policy dialog the need for programs to help foster youth transition to independent living.

Why not stop by our Foster Parenting Forums and offer a word of encouragement?

Featured This Month at the Site

• Foster Parenting: Celebrate the Vision
• "Multiple Transitions - A Young Child's Point of View on Foster Care and Adoption"
• Treatment Foster Care: One Parent's Story

Advocacy Tool Kit

Casey Family Programs National Center for Resource Family Support (CNC) is hosting the National Foster Care Month Web site and they've put together information that includes:

• the month's goals, messages, and partners,
• tools to get involved, and work with the media,
• a sign-up form to receive updates throughout the month,
• media kit including customizable letters, and
• a calendar of events across the U.S. (by state).

The Need for Foster Parents

There is a critical shortage of foster parents in the U.S. If you've considered becoming a foster parent, please visit FosterParenting.com for more information.