Healing

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"It takes a village to raise a child."
- African Proverb

Become a Foster Parent

What's one of the best things you can do to help children who have been abused or neglected?

No, it's not to harm their perpetrators or make them “go away." Although, you may feel like exacting this kind of street justice on them, especially when the abuse has been quite severe.

Actually, one of the best things you can do to help children in need is to open your home to them.

In 2005, there were an estimated 513,000 children in the foster care system in the United States.* Unfortunately, as is well known, there is a shortage of foster homes across the nation.

Therefore, these half-a-million children are in desperate need of compassionate, patient, understanding people to open their homes to them for temporary as well as permanent shelter.

Are you willing—and able—to be among the rare and selfless people who open their homes to a child in need?

Yes, it's not an easy thing to do. Many of these children have significant issues that can make them a challenge to care for. It can take exceptional parenting skills to care for a foster child, and your motives for taking in a foster child definitely must be absolutely pure.

But like the Peace Corps, being a foster parent could be “the toughest job you’ll ever love." So, we hope you do indeed make the decision to open your heart and home to a child in need.

To find out if you have what it takes to become a foster parent, here's an excellent article from adopting.org that will help you with your decision.

For additional information on becoming a foster parent, please visit the National Foster Parent Association Web site.

You may also search for a foster care or adoption resource or agency in your state.

Thank you for your interest in becoming a foster or adoptive parent. There are half-a-million children in this country alone who need someone like you in their life. So, on behalf of these unfortunate "little angels," we offer you our deepest gratitude.

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