A Celebration of National Foster Care Month: Foster Love. Foster Kindness. Foster Swell.

Many of us live our day to day lives without really considering what it means for a child to grow up without having the security of that which is most basic to so many of us: the constancy and stability of a permanent family.

While for some children foster care will be a short-term situation, for other children this limbo of not knowing where you are going – of not knowing where you can call home – this can stretch into months. And years.

For some, it is permanent.

Take a minute to really think about what that would mean to a child. Imagine if it was your own child who was living each day with this uncertainty, and heartache, and fear.

Not everyone will become foster parents. But some of us can. And while fostering is not the right fit for everyone, ALL OF US can do something to help a child in foster care, and to support the families and systems that give our most vulnerable kids a home.

In honor of National Foster Care Month, I want to direct your attention to the Foster Swell Campaign for Foster Care, which shows the real stories of foster parents who have opened their homes to the many weary travelers walking through our system. This campaign is not only bringing you stories of those families directly impacted by foster care, but it challenges all of us to find a way to help. The campaign is a way to raise awareness about the fact that there are children in our communities that can use our support and love.

If you have an interest in doing something and are not sure what that thing might be, you can go here for links to organizations that are doing this work.

“During my foster to adopt training classes, one of the instructors said, “Nothing will be as you imagined, but you will know it is right.”  He was correct.”

This is Foster Care.

“I think about the look on her face when she told me she loved me, and the way she looked at me as she asked if she could stay forever. I don’t know what the future holds for our family. I will never know what tomorrow brings. But I do know that these three kids are loved, they are wanted, and truly cherished. I thank God that today I get to be their mommy.”    

This is Foster Care.

“It’s okay to bond with the child and it is natural to grieve if their ultimate placement is not with you. Know that you have helped to make their little lives better for the time you had with them.”

This is Foster Care.

Foster care should be important to all of us. These children in foster care? They are our neighbors. They are our children’s classmates. They are our kids too.

See how you can get involved: Foster Swell Campaign for Foster Care.

And check out this Foster Family Giveaway!