May is Foster Care Awareness Month and here at Crossnore, we want to honor the children and families who are part of the foster care journey every single day.
We know foster care can feel like a big and overwhelming topic. Maybe you’ve wondered how you can help get involved? Maybe you’ve contemplated fostering, but you’ve heard all the scary stories. Maybe you’re worried about your home, your age, and if you can provide care for a child in custody? This month and always, we’re here to walk alongside you, answer your questions, and invite you into this beautiful, hard, healing work.
What is Foster Care?
Foster care is a temporary living arrangement for children who are in the custody of the state and are unable to remain with their families due to safety concerns. While the goal is always for children to return home when it’s safe to do so, foster care gives children the love, structure, and support they need while that healing work happens.
At Crossnore, we support children in foster care on our campuses and in licensed foster homes across the region and through our own Professional Foster Parenting model (Bridging Families©). We walk every step of the journey with the families who open their hearts and homes to our children in care.
Questions We Heart Often:
- Who can be a foster parent? People from all walks of life! Foster parents can be single, married, partnered, LBGTQ+, renters, homeowners, young professionals, retirees, religious, unaffiliated, and everything in between. What matters most is your capacity to care.
- How long does a child stay in foster care? Every situation is unique. Some children stay for a few days, others for months or longer. Most courts provide a year for birth families to work on an improvement plan, making their homes and lives more equipt for their children to return. Our team helps families navigate each placement with a plan and a purpose.
- Do I get training or support? Yes, and yes. We offer thorough training before you welcome a child, and ongoing support after. You’ll never be on your own, we’ll be there every step of the way.
- What if i I get too attached? It’s one of the most common (and most heartfelt) questions we get. The truth is: love and connection are what children in foster care need most. While goodbyes can be hard, the impact of your love lasts forever. Get attached, love…you’ll never regret it!
- Can I choose who I foster? You’ll work closely with our team to share what you feel equipped for: things like age range, sibling groups, or special needs. Together, we’ll help find the best fit for your home and heart.
Who Can I Talk To?
You don’t have to figure this out on your own. Whether you’re ready to start the process or just curious, here’s who you can reach out to:
Our Foster Care Team – We’re here to answer your questions and guide you step-by-step.
Current Foster Families – We’re happy to connect you with someone who’s been where you are.
Our Foster Parent Training Coordinator – She’s ready to help!
Where Do I Start?
Start with a conversation. Check out our website to sign up for Crossnore’s online portal, and a team member will connect with you about your questions and/or next steps to begin training to become a licensed foster parent. If you are ready to fill out your application, that form can be filled out here.
How Can I Help Right Now?
- Support a Foster Family – If you know a foster family, ask what might be helpful. It could look like making a meal, watching kiddos for a couple of hours, grabbing groceries, walking the dog. Support looks different for every family.
- Give – You can give online to support children in our care.
- Amazon Wish List – Shop our lists to provide items for kiddos in both campus-based and community foster care.
- Share – To raise awareness, share this blog (and other posts) from our LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram accounts.
Let’s Talk!
If you’ve ever felt a tug on your heart to learn more about foster care, we’d love to talk. You’re not signing up for anything, just starting a conversation.
