Being taken away from your family, home, friends and school is a terrifying experience for any child, but it happens everyday to children who are removed from abusive and unsafe homes or who are abandoned. No child chooses to come into foster care. They come in because their parents can't or won't take care of them. Sometimes people who want to help these kids feel overwhelmed. But the best way to help is the simplest - help just one child.

The following are some suggestions of how individuals can help - one child at a time.

Adopt a Child
Right now, there are hundreds of children in Washington who need families-but there are far fewer families who have considered adoption. As a result, many of these children grow up and never know the security of having a permanent family to call their own. Adopting a child who has been in the foster care system is truly saving a life.

For information about waiting children, contact the Northwest Adoption Exchange (WARE) at (206) 441-6822, or (800) 927-9411, or on the Web at: www.nwae.org.

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Foster a Child
Thousands of children come into the state's foster care system because their parents can't or won't take care of them. These children are neglected, abused and sometimes abandoned. All of them need safe nurturing homes, while their birth parents grapple with the problems that are ripping their families apart. Becoming a foster parent is the most rewarding work you may ever do.

For information about becoming a foster parent, call Families for Kids Recruitment Resources at 1-888-794-1794 or visit them on the Web at www.familiesforkids.org.

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Provide Respite Care
Another option is to become a foster family that provides "breaks" for other foster families caring for children full time. Respite families care for children from as little as a few hours to as much as a week. Most of the time, respite care is provided for a day or a weekend. Respite families are a vital part of the foster care system, supporting foster families in their need to have time away from the responsibility of caring for children.

For information about becoming a respite care foster parent, call Families for Kids Recruitment Resources at 1-888-794-1794 or visit them on the Web at www.familiesforkids.org.

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Volunteer as a Court Appointed Special Advocate
Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers are ordinary people doing extraordinary work. Volunteer advocates are appointed by a judge to thoroughly investigate a neglected or abused child's world, interviewing everyone who is part of that child's life. The volunteer then makes recommendations to the court as to the child's best interests. Throughout the process, the CASA volunteer also monitors the child's situation and works with the courts, social services and schools on behalf of the child. All volunteers are thoroughly trained, supported and supervised.

Many more volunteers are needed.More information about CASA and a listing of local CASA organizations is available at: www.washingtonstatecasa.org or by calling (206) 667-9716 or
(800) 530-0045.

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Help with Schooling
Children in foster care often have difficulty in school. The instability of their home life and/or the trauma they've suffered can be disruptive to their school experience. In addition, foster families may be without the means to provide school materials. You can help by:

• Providing school supplies (book bags, notebooks, class rings, pictures, yearbooks).
• Volunteering as a tutor.
• Starting or contributing to a scholarship fund.

For more information about how to help needy children in school, contact your local school district, or in King County contact Treehouse at (206) 767-7000 or www.treehouse4kids.org.

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Be a Mentor
Studies show that the positive influence of a "mentor" can act as a buffer against the many negative influences plaguing children today. For children in foster care, this focused care and concern can be the determining factor in helping to turn a kid's life around. You can help by:

• Being a mentor/friend to a child or youth.
• Providing jobs or internships for older youth.

For information on being a school-based mentor for a child in foster care for one hour per week or for their regular mentoring program, contact Big Brothers/Big Sisters in western Washington 1-877-700-2447 (BIGS), or at www.bigsandlittles.org. In Eastern Washington, contact Big Brothers/Big Sisters at (509) 328-8310.

Mentoring Through E-mail:
The Orphan Foundation of America has an "virtual mentoring" program for busy professionals, stay-at-home moms, and active retirees willing to give one-on-one academic and career guidance, as well as friendly support to their foster youth college scholarship recipients. Unlike traditional mentoring, v-Mentoring takes place through e-mails, chat groups and web links. For more information visit their website at www.orphan.org/ementor.html.

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Be an Advocate
Children in out-of-home care are sparsely represented in the offices of decision makers and lawmakers. With parents who are grappling with extraordinary problems, these wards of the state have few people able to advocate for their needs. Advocating for children in foster care is easy to do and takes very little time.

Visit or call lawmakers/decision makers and talk with them about the needs of these children, or register your position for or against a pending piece of legislation.

Two Washington organizations will help you learn how to advocate and what specific issues to advocate about.

• Contact Laurie Lippold, Director of Public Policy, Children's Home Society of Washington (CHSW) at (206) 6953229 or (800) 456-3339, or at lauriel@chs-wa.org,or visit CHSW's advocacy section on the Web.
• Or call the Children's Alliance of Washington, in Seattle at (206)324-0340 or in Spokane at (509) 747-7205. Their website is www.childrensalliance.org.

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Help the Organizations that Help Kids
There are many agencies working to help children in foster care. Ways to help:

• Enjoy research and talking with others? Volunteer to help social workers find a child's relatives for his/her social worker.
• Good at administrative tasks? Be a case aide (a volunteer who provides paperwork support for social workers)
• Enjoy scrapbooking? Volunteer with a Lifebook project (building a scrap book commemorating a child's history).
• Have a spare room in a public building? Provide meeting space for volunteer or parent groups.
• Have printing facilities? Underwrite the costs of printing informational brochures and posters to recruit foster and/or adoptive families.
• Good at fundraising? Help private foster care/adoption agencies with fundraising, or by becoming a board member for an agency.
• Want to make a worthy investment? Make funds available or donate necessary items that may be barriers to licensing for lower income foster parents:
  · Fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, and first aid kits;
  · Beds, chests of drawers, high chairs, car seats;
  · Diapers, children's clothing.

For a list of contact numbers for your local private foster care agencies and Division of Children and Family Services office, please call Families for Kids Recruitment Resources at 1-888-794-1794.

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Help Give Children Some of the Normal Experiences of Childhood

There is no state funding for foster children to participate in the activities that often define childhood: summer camp, organized, sports, after school activities, owning a bicycle or a computer, attending field trips and school dances. Without financial help, foster children rarely get to join in the fun. Through a number of community programs, you can:

• Provide scholarships for camps, music lessons, sports teams, athletic shoes, bicycles, computers, etc.
• Sponsor school photographs and participation in graduations and/or proms
• Provide training or job opportunities for youth in foster care or who are emancipating from foster care.

Programs that provide items and opportunities especially to foster child exist throughout the state. Contact one from the list below.

CASA Partners
Serves children on the Spokane CASA caseloads by providing them with self-esteem building experiences, bags.
Contacts:
Gayle Kiser, glkiser@air-pipe.com
Camile Tilford, tilford@sisna.com, (509) 448-4711
Linda Barenz, windsong6@comcast.net, (509) 928-8647

Angels for Kids
Serves children with open case files in Franklin/ Benton County by providing them with self-esteem building experiences.
Contacts:
Debra Hoyes, chde300@dshs.wa.gov, (509) 737-2872
Jonnie Jenquin, rajj300@dshs.wa.gov, (509) 737-2844
Fax (509) 734-7199

KidsDream
Serves children in Snohomish Co with DCFS case files with self esteem building experiences.
Contact:
Cindy Walker: Kidsdreamsnohomish@yahoo.com, (425) 356-9679

Treehouse
Treehouse serves children with an open DCFS case file in King County with extra-curricular activities, camp, tutoring, educational advocacy, college preparation and clothing.
Contacts:
Degale Cooper, degale@treehouseforkids.org, (206) 267-5120 for referral to programs
Jane Fredricksen, jane@treehouseforkids.org, (206) 267-5115 to help Treehouse achieve its mission

High 5 for Kids
Serves children with open case files in Pierce & Kitsap Counties by providing them with self-esteem building experiences.
Contact:
Luanne Hawley, Highfiveforkids@aol.com, (800) 539-9466

Bridge the Gap
Serves children in Clark County with open case files by providing them self-esteem building experiences.
Contact:
Tauni Hemminger, (360) 518-3022

Capital Kids Connection
Serves children with open case files in Thurston and Mason Counties by providing them with enriching, self-esteem building experiences.
Contact:
Sharon Versteeg, Capitalkidsconnection@hotmail.com
www.capitalkidsconnection.org

Guardian Angels Handbook: Start Your Own Program to Enrich Foster Kids' Lives

Families for Kids Partnership developed a 73-page handbook filled with guidelines and tips for starting a program that enable organizations or individuals to provide children in foster care with enrichment opportunities such as those listed above. The handbook includes:

• An outline to follow through the process of program start-up
• Basics about community organizing, program startup and management
• Examples from five models of community-based enrichment organizations
• Tips from these enrichment programs
• Suggestions for further reading and contacts
• A list of other available materials

Download Handbook for Building Community Programs to Help Kids in Foster Care in pdf format now.

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