May is National Foster Care Awareness Month

            After April (abused children awareness month) comes May (National Foster Care Awareness month), I love these two months and I'm glad they come after each other and that makes more sense too. I have learned a lot about the foster care system while living in in AR because of where I used to work and that was at the children's shelter. I have never heard or seen a state that is so passionate about Foster Care. Arkansas has so many systems and organizations just for that one thing but it makes sense when you have about 10,000 abused children in the state. Over 100,000 children waiting for a foster home. You want to make a home for them.
          I know of a organization that is big in this state and it is called "The Call". That is what this entry will mostly be about. It will be about me telling you about and promoting "The Call" in a good way. Their motto is: "No Waiting Children in Arkansas". This is their website:
http://thecallinarkansas.org. It is a Christian based organization. I found out about first through my church and then more when I was working the children's shelter. "The Call" does a lot within the community and finding and building foster homes for children that need them.
         I know that they have a monthly meeting and the start of each month at different churches around the communities. The meetings usually happen on a Monday night so the first Monday of every month. The meetings are informational meetings on how to become a foster home and the guidelines to follow with that. That is the first step through this organization and the state if you are wanting to become a foster home. "Come explore what God may have for YOU to do in the life of a child in foster care in your community!" That is the first sentence they have on their events page on their website. I love it! 
        They also have a place on their website where you can sign up to volunteer for anything. You can volunteer in every county to help them. There is CALL office volunteers, child care volunteer during meetings, foster family support system, fundraising, hospitality team, mentor, prayer team, and so much more. I need to volunteer to help with child care during one of the info meetings. Maybe I will do that soon and write about it. Maybe next month? But while I do that, I challenge you to get out there and volunteer with them some how this month or in the next coming month to see how it feels to serve people in need. 
        Here are some facts from their website and there are some more facts that you can look at. I wanted to put them all on here for me to keep but then what good would it do you and them if you didn't go to their website at all. 

         

Facts about children in foster care

FACT: 7,000 children spend time in foster care in Arkansas every year.

FACT: Today there are about 4,500 children in foster care.

FACT: Children are placed in foster homes because they have been removed from their own families due to abuse, neglect, or other family problems that endanger their safety.

FACT: Each child deserves a safe, loving temporary home where they can heal and grow.

FACT: Children in foster care range in age from infancy through 18 years of age.

FACT: Some children have special medical, physical, or emotional needs. 

FACT: Children in foster care are from every ethnicity or race.

FACT: 85% of the time the permanency goal for children who enter foster care is reunification with their biological family.

Here are some more Fostering Facts from their website:

Fostering facts

FACT: Foster families provide a temporary, healthy, loving home for children in foster care while biological families resolve the issues that brought their children to into care. 

FACT: If you are you willing to build into the life of a child temporarily and support reunification without the expectation of adoption – then you will be a perfect foster parent. 

FACT: Foster families are expected to provide a nurturing family environment which includes guidance, stimulation, affection, praise, encouragement and appropriate discipline.

FACT: Foster families can specify the age group of children you are willing to take into your home. You choose which children come into your home. 

FACT: Foster families prepare children to enter school at an appropriate age and provide opportunities for children to express their strengths, gifts and talents.

FACT: Foster families transport children to doctor visits, court, and family visits.

FACT: Foster Families teach children life skills.

FACT: The CALL recruited foster families only take placements from their home county.

FACT: 1,000 more foster homes are needed statewide to have a home for every child in foster care. 

           
       




There is also another organization in Arkansas for foster children and families and it is called "Project Zero". This is also their website: http://www.theprojectzero.org. That I will write about in my next entry. This organization took up a lot of space. More then I thought it would.