The Need is Great, the Need is Now:

Why serving as a foster parent helps the community

By Pam Osbey

Imagine growing up in the foster care system, mostly with out a biological parent's inclusion in your young life. Imagine, you are dealing with developmental, emotional or physical challenges and left without your parent in a world that seems overwhelming to your soul. You're shifting between temporary homes, being displaced due to life issues that seems to be out of control. Children in the foster care system are dealing with a lot of conflict, challenges, and disruptiveness that leaves their young lives in imbalance most of their time. Did you know that more than half a million foster children live temporarily with foster parents while their biological parents are struggling with real life issues (drug addiction, alcoholism, illness, financial hardship and other difficulties). This is why the need is great and the need is now. Without healthy foster homes for the youth, they are vulnerable to dropping out of school, unable to sustain their lives, as well as not living in stable environments which will help them grow and thrive as human beings.

According to Hunter College's "Community Outreach Handbook for Recruiting Foster Parents and Volunteers", about 75% of foster care placements are due to parental abuse of drugs or alcohol. Children from these homes are lacking the nurturing that healthy parenting provides. Because of the erratic behavior of parents involved, youth are removed from those homes and placed into the foster care system. While in care, youth are still waiting for placement in homes of caring and capable community members who decide to serve as foster parents, providing stable homes and the ability for the young people in care to get balance in their lives.

Many of the youth in care, often are not young children, often, older and in their adolescent years. Due to the fact that there is a surplus of teen foster youth in the foster care system, it has become very challenging for community members to step up and get involved due to being intimidated by fostering a child that is a teen. The foster youth that are in the most need are between the ages of thirteen and twenty. After the age of 18, the foster care system, does not take care of these young people and they 'age' out by age 18. If they have been in the system all of this time without a parent or involvement by a sibling, they are left to deal with the world on their own, with no real support.

Often times foster care agencies partner up with community organizations or non profits to increase the availability of healthy and stable homes for the foster youth. With these partnerships, community members, can step up and get involved in a young child's life.

According to the Foster Club organization, if there is no involvement by community members or those who can serve as a foster parent. By the year 2020, you can expect this to happen:

• 22,500 children will die of abuse or neglect, most before their fifth birthday
• More than 10.5 million children will spend some time in foster care
• More than 300,000 children will age out of our foster care system, some in poor health and many unprepared for success in higher education, technical college or the workforce
• 75,000 former foster youth, who aged out of the system, will experience homelessness

Other staggering facts about youth who emanicipate out of the foster care system, include a high number of foster youth, experiencing unemployment, which can lead to an unstable living environment, and court involvement due to violence or committed crimes. There is also a high number of unplanned pregnancies due to their status.

Instead of having youth being unemployed, homeless and or creating families when they are still young themselves, having foster families ready and available to help, assist and empower these vulnerable youth to higher heights is much desired and needed.

Permanency is a goal that these young people need to have in their lives to make them whole. Having a permanent home base, a stable foster parent, and consistent things in their lives (same friends, access to biological parent, similar school and education) will help them grow in their lives and develop at a steady pace. Community members from all walks of life, who have the space in their homes and the love in their heart are encouraged to explore the possibility of opening their homes to a vulnerable foster youth.

Without the need met, the community will continue to deal with foster youth who may be in their community, unemployed, homeless, or unstable in a way that affects the community. Why not invest time, energy and your heart to a needy teen today?

The cost to the community isn't as high as it is without stability for the young person in care.

To learn more about how to become a foster parent in your community, check with your community centers and non profits in your area. You can also connect with online organizations such as Adopting.org and The National Foster Parent Association.