May is Foster Care Month, take some time to think, be informed May 23, 2008 To the Antigo Journal:
Child welfare concerns may happen to families of every race, ethnicity, culture and age group. Foster care is designed to be temporary care for a child who has been removed from his or her home due to abuse or neglect.
Across the United States, there are over 513,000 children in foster care because their own families are in crisis or unable to provide safe home. In Wisconsin, there were 7,824 children in the foster care system according to Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System's most recent data. The average length of time a child spends in foster care is 32 months. The average age of a child in foster care is 10 years old. No matter what their age is, children and youth need support of adults during times of crisis. Without stable adults and families, many formerly abused and neglected teens and children face life's challenges and problems on their own. There is no difference in the percentage of incidences of child abuse or neglect by race.
Wisconsin has approximately 4,600 foster homes in the state. Foster parents come from all backgrounds, ages, income levels. Foster parents share a common love for helping children. Foster parents are a part of a team that helps build strong families. Foster parents find personal rewards by having a chance to give and receive love, by nurturing and loving vulnerable children, by knowing they are making a difference in a child's life. There is a need for all types of families, from those who take many children into their homes for long periods of time to those who take a few children for a short time.
May is National Foster Care Month, and we wish to thank the foster families in Langlade County for their help and support of children and families. It is a time to think about the children in need and families who need support in times of crisis.
The Langlade County Department of Social Services is able to provide information about foster care and becoming a foster parent.
Bob Anderson, CSW
Karen Purmort, CSW
Foster Care Coordinators
Langlade County Department
of Social Services
|
|
|
