There are nearly 6000 children and older youth currently in foster care in Alabama. Foster parents for older youth are most urgently needed, but no matter their age, all youth need caring and supportive adults in their life. Foster Care Awareness Month helps puts the spotlight on this challenging work and creates awareness of the need for community involvement.
Children do best in healthy, loving homes with their biological families. Unfortunately, some children are unable to stay in their homes because they have been abused or neglected. These children desperately need the guidance and support of caring adults to help them realize their fullest potential. Foster parenting is a significant and rewarding opportunity that helps create brighter futures for these children.
"We’re looking for community members who can function as resources for children and older youth that are also willing to work with the birth families to maintain connections when possible," said Dr. Page Walley, commissioner of the Department of Human Resources. "These older youth sometimes present more of a challenge to our foster parents and because they are older, we often have less time to help them transition into independence so they can become well adjusted, successful adults," he added.
Foster Care Month showcases a variety of other meaningful ways for the public to get involved and make a difference in the lives of these young people. Across our state, people just like you are serving as their foster parents, relative caregivers, mentors, advocates, social workers and volunteers. Thanks to these unsung heroes, many formerly abused or neglected children and teens will either safely reunite with their parents, be cared for by relatives, or be adopted by loving families.