Page 1 - 2022 Spring Newsletter

2022
childrensfriendri.org
May is Foster Care Awareness Month!
Read about the impact your gift has on families in crisis who need this vital service.
Foster Care Awareness Month is in May. As we think about all the families who have stepped up to welcome a child into their home temporarily, we know we couldn’t have placed as many children in loving and caring homes without generous supporters like you.
Your gift to Children’s Friend ensured that 88 children could find temporary homes in 2021 while their birth parents confronted life’s challenges. These placements have allowed birth parents the time to find resources, help, and the assistance they need to be successfully reunified with their children.
We would love to share one success story about Abby,
just two years old, who was already exposed to multiple substances at birth and moved into our foster care program within three weeks of life.
Over the following few months, there were numerous challenges and inconsistent visits from her birth mother, and there was concern that Abby would never be able to be reunited with her birth family because of the severe circumstances.
However, after connecting and working with Abby’s birth father he started visiting Abby with enthusiasm and consistency. He brought books, toys, and snacks during his visits, and the foster family continued to see the connection he had with Abby increase! Our hope for reunification was returning!
Then- his parents, Abby’s grandparents, started to join the visits. It was a family affair! With a bit of instruction and help from our staff, the entire family learned what they needed to do to bring their baby Abby home safely and how they could continue to receive support and assistance from the agency.
By October, Abby was heading home to live with her birth father and paternal grandparents- just in time to celebrate Halloween and enjoy her first holiday with family! These stories continue to encourage us in the critical work of safe foster care. Abby was able to grow and develop in a safe, loving, and nourishing foster home until she was reunited with her birth father.
Thank you for making a life-changing gift! Your gracious and generous gift means more children can have the advantage of being reunified with their families in safe and healthy ways. And your donation ensures each family has the training and ability to welcome their child back into their home when the time is right.
INSIDE
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• You Gave Generously to 401Gives
• Children’s Friend is NOW HIRING!
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