Foodies 4 Foster Youth benefiting Promises 2 Kids this month - kusi.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kusi.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
May 14, 2021
4 hrs ago
As of April, 6,857 children were in the stateâs foster care system, according to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.
Through no fault of their own, children are removed from their homes for reasons that range from abuse and neglect or perhaps one of their parents is no longer their lives for one reason or another.
Children who enter foster care are often traumatized and need a stable, loving environment where they will thrive. The goal is to minimize, to the extent possible, any further trauma or disruption to the childâs life.
However, foster care is not handled in the same manner in every state and, in some cases, may vary from county to county in the same state. Thatâs unfortunate because the system should focus on what is the best scenario for the child to thrive and be able to have some semblance of a normal life.
Foster parents step up to help but more support is needed
Updated 5/14/2021 9:42 AM
May is National Foster Care Month. With over 21,000 children in Illinois in need of support, it is the perfect time to acknowledge the impact the pandemic has had on too many families, recognize that everyone can play a part in enhancing the lives of children in foster care and their families, and ask more people to consider fostering.
In just the past year, Illinois has seen significant growth both in the number of children within the foster care system and in the increased need for more foster parents. The Department of Children and Family Services of Illinois anticipates the 21,000 number will continue to rise well after the pandemic subsides as it will take time for people to recover financially.
Courtesy of Vermont DCF Barbara Bruno runs a tight ship. As a foster care provider who feels she can best support teens and young adults, Bruno understands that for many teens in foster care, guidance and stability are key to addressing their trauma. With steady guidance and care, Bruno sees teens blossom into more confident, secure and resilient people. “They want guidelines,” she asserts. “For many of these kids, they’ve not had a lot of that. Guidelines give them security and stability they crave even if they sometimes rebel against it. I’m glad I can be here for them,” she said.