JENNIE: Foster Care Awareness Month emphasizes the need for loving families
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF)– May is Foster Care awareness month. Foster parenting is when families provide temporary care for children who are unable to live with their biological parents for reasons such as neglect, abuse or parental incarceration.
In South Carolina, nearly 4000 kids are waiting for a foster home. Officials say the need is so crucial because this puts children in a family setting instead of a group home.
Unfortunately, there are more youth in need of loving foster homes than there are licensed foster homes to care for them.
Mentor Foster Care has provided foster care services since 1980 with a core belief that children belong in families where they can get the love and support they need to thrive. And now Mentor Foster Care is seeking, loving foster parents.
Vonda Prince is the regional director of Mentor Foster Care, which focuses on the healing effects a loving family can have on a child who has experienced trauma, or has other special mental health or physical needs.
“That’s right. So we feel like this model focuses on a loving relationship that a family can help provide a child who’s experienced trauma. And we’ve been doing this for quite some time and found this to be successful. We started in 1980 in the state of Massachusetts, where we work with youth that were involved with the court system, where they otherwise be in correctional institutions. And so since 1980, we have spread out across all other states providing an array of services.”
To become a foster parent in South Carolina, you have to be at least 21, pass a background check, and have a space for a child in your home.
“But most of all, we want you to have the desire to want to be a foster parent. You can be single, you can be married. You can be an empty nester like Marion, here. You can be from any cultural background, any gender, any orientation. We welcome all. The licensing process takes around 90 to 120 days.”
Marian Major has two grown daughters of her own. And now she is a foster parent who is passionate about the impact fostering can have on children.
“When we became empty nesters, I said, Why not now? You know? So this is giving kids an opportunity to flourish in life, you know. You want to be that person that can plant the seed to help a person or help children to just be better people. You know? And my whole I have such a passion for it to just love on them, just listen to them, you know, because they didn’t choose fostering. So I want to hear — I hear their voice, you know, I hear their heart.
And then I just want to be there just to get a good understanding. And just to love on others. That’s just my passion. Just to love on them and show them something different.”
Marian also points out that they didn’t choose to be foster children. They are there because of actions that are totally unrelated to them.
“Exactly. And just to experience two lives coming together because my life is different and their life is different. And how do we navigate through that, you know? Just by listening to them and getting an understanding of just what they want to say, you know. ‘Just hear me,’ so I listen. I hear them every day. I hear them.”
Mentor Foster Care provides therapeutic foster care services to help children with trauma, autism, behavioral health needs and other challenges heal and thrive. You can contact them at 888-249-5150. They’re located at 5140 Woodside Executive Court in Aiken. If you are interested in becoming a foster parent, you can learn more about it on their blog or visit mentorfoster.com to sign up for an information session.
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