Happy National Foster Care Day! Dedicated to any and all of the children in the American foster care system, this day on the first Tuesday in May encourages everyone to wear blue and raise their voices to show their support for foster youth everywhere.
Kicking off Foster Care Month, National Foster Care Day provides a platform to help repair a system that is plagued with shortages nationwide.
Many enter care with little to no belongings and have suffered the effects of abuse, poverty, neglect, or even the death of their loved ones. There is a nationwide shortage of foster parents and stipends that don’t cover the essentials of a growing child.
With over four hundred thousand children in the foster care system at any given time, and a new child placed into care every two minutes, the need for support services, essential items, and foster parents is high.
Foster children have an uphill battle with startling statistics to overcome and need the support of our communities across the country. National Foster Care Day shines a light on these children and points us all in the direction of solutions.
Statistics
• Two hundred fifty thousand children enter foster care each year
• Only fifty percent of youth in foster care graduate high school
• Foster children suffer PTSD at more than twice the rate of US war veterans
• One in five foster children experience homelessness within one year of aging out of care
• At ages seventeen and eighteen, one-third of young women in foster care are pregnant or parenting
• More than seventy percent of inmates incarcerated were at one point in the foster care system
• Stipends don’t cover the essentials of a growing child
How to Help
• Volunteer to become a Court appointed special advocate (CASA) – CASAs receive specialized training and represent the best interests of abused and neglected children.
• Become a Foster Parent – Nationwide, there is a shortage of licensed foster homes.
• Adopt a Foster Child – In the U.S., more than one hundred thousand children wait for a family to call home.
• Volunteer through non- profits like Project Blue, Ticket to Dream Foundation and many others that provide mentoring to foster children, require staffing assistance for events and many other opportunities!
• Share this page – Increasing awareness and interest in the solutions will help foster children heal and grow to their full potential.
HOW TO OBSERVE
On National Foster Care Day, find out more about how you can make a difference by visiting the website below. Show your support for foster youth by wearing blue and post a picture on social media by using #FosterCareBlue.
HISTORY
Ticket to Dream Foundation®, in partnership with Project Blue founded National Foster Care Day to increase awareness surrounding the needs of children in foster care, the opportunities for volunteers, and the benefits of improving the system.
Beginning in 2017, the Registrar at National Day Calendar® declared the day to be observed annually.
#FosterCareBlue
@TicketToDream
@theblueribbon.org
@NationalCASAGAL
@nichecinema
DATES
May 04, 2021
May 03, 2022
May 02, 2023
May 07, 2024
May 06, 2025
May 05, 2026
May 03, 2027
May 02, 2028
May 01, 2029
May 07, 2030
May 03, 2022
May 02, 2023
May 07, 2024
May 06, 2025
May 05, 2026
May 03, 2027
May 02, 2028
May 01, 2029
May 07, 2030
No comments:
Post a Comment