Written by Foster-Adoptive Parent and Foster-Adoptive Consultant, Amy Bates in Cedar City, UT
I was blessed to have an idyllic childhood. Climbing trees, teasing my brothers, and trying to figure out how to get my parents to pay for the ice cream truck were my primary concerns. Living in our beautiful city and trying to provide a similar experience for my children, it can be easy to fall into the assumption this is the life for all children in our community. Sadly, it is not. There are children, so many children, right here in our local area, whose nightmares come during the day, who go to bed on an empty stomach and do not have anyone in their corner protecting them.
Opening your eyes to reality
Although it would be easier to wear our blinders as to what youth are dealing with, doing so closes us off to figuring out solutions for improvement. Since May is National Foster Care Awareness month, it is the perfect time to open our eyes to reality so we can take the brave step to figure out where we can step in and make a change.
Those who are willing to open their hearts and homes are very needed. Currently, there are over 2000+ Utah children in foster care and less than 1000 foster homes. This means children often have to leave their community to find a home, which causes more trauma to someone who has already experienced more than their fair share.
However, for various reasons, not everyone is able to become a foster parent. Having an all-or-nothing mentality about how you can show up and care for this vulnerable population limits your potential to provide meaningful support to them. Caring for a child in foster care could also mean paying for music lessons or a prom dress. It could look like bringing dinner to a foster family on the day a new child comes to their home. Or maybe it means providing childcare so the foster parents can get a night out.
Find out what YOU can do
Pretending it’s not happening or brushing it off as someone else’s problem will not make their struggles go away; in fact, doing so only intensifies the issues. During this month, please take time to find out what YOU can do to provide a child with the childhood they deserve.
