I asked Google to search for Foster Adoptive Family Resource Center. There were 1,900,000 results. I realized that many states have centers that specifically offer services to foster and adoptive families. Have you considered getting involved with your local center? If you don’t have a local center, have you considered starting one?

We have a center called The Foster Adoptive Family Resource & Support Center and it serves several counties in Michigan. I have watched the Resource Center grow and expand its services over the 14 years that I’ve volunteered at the center. It has gone from an idea that a few ladies had 20 years ago, to a United Way Program Delivery Partner in 2000.

Our center offers free monthly training to foster and adoptive parents and support groups. Our director will attend special hearing with foster, adoptive, and kinship parents including special investigations and IEPs if requested. We write grants to offer periodic respite days to foster and adoptive parents and free enrichment activities. Sometimes we have free movie tickets with popcorn, free passes to amusement parks, backpacks and school supplies, and Christmas gifts.

The most popular program offered by our Resource Center is “Take A Break Daycare.” This innovative center offers parents a place to bring their child for the day at no fee to help prevent abuse or neglect. It is also a drop in center for parents who just have a doctor’s appointment or if their daycare provider took a day off. In addition, it’s a regular daycare center that focuses on serving foster, adoptive, and at risk, children while their parents work. The staff at the center is trained to deal with the special needs and behaviors that arise among traumatized children.

I realize that you may not have access to this particular center, but it seems that every state has some sort of center. I just showed up and volunteered one day at our center and I’ve been involved ever since then.

You could do the same thing at your center. You could be instrumental in helping your center grow and change to serve your community's foster, adoptive, and kinship children. It’s a great way to meet other foster, adoptive, and kinship families and create your circle of supportive friends. I leave you with this challenge.


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