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  • About
      • Staff
  • Resources
    • A-C Resources
      • Assistance to the Families of Incarcerated (AFI)
      • Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD)
      • Caring for the Whole Person
      • Catholic Healthcare
      • Catholic Relief Services
      • Census
      • Creation
    • D-G Resources
      • Death Penalty
      • Dobbs
      • Domestic Violence & Abuse
      • End of Life Care
      • Foster Care & Adoption
      • Gender & Sexuality
    • H-O Resources
      • Healing After Abortion
      • Homelessness & Poverty
      • Human Trafficking
      • LA for Dreamers
      • Merciful Companions
      • Mental Health Ministry
      • OneLife LA
    • N-P Resources
      • Parish Leaders Resources
      • Pregnancy & Parenting Resources
      • Pornography & Digital Safety
      • Pregnancy & Infant Loss
      • Pregnancy and Parenting Resource Page
      • Pro-Life
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  • Together we can help children in foster care
    Together we can help children in foster care
    "To be sure. raising children is not easy task. But lets us not forget that they also "raise" us. The family remains the primary environment where education takes place, through small gestures that are more eloquent than words."
    - Letter of his holiness pope francis to married couples for the "Amoris Laetitia family" year 2021-2022
      • Children witness the love of Christ alive and present in the arms of a family.  

        The County of Los Angeles has more than 28,000 children in foster care. These foster children and youth need the love of a family to support them and nurture them to their full potential.  

        Without care and support children aging out of the foster care system can end up homeless, incarcerated, trafficked, in poverty or face early parenthood. 

        We can all do our part to help children in foster care.   

        Our Catholic Community - parishes, schools, families and individuals can support children in foster care.  

        There something for everyone! 

        • PARISHES


          Host a foster speaker!

          Our office can provide speakers who can speak to parishioners about fostering and how the parish community can support foster children as a group. We’ll help you find a speaker for after Mass, provide you with prayers cards and resources regarding foster care 

          To book a speaker at your parish, contact Gina Vides (213) 637-7690. 

          Parish communities can also: 

          Pray for foster children and their families. Order our prayer cards featuring St. Jerome Emiliani, patron of foster children. 

          • Organize a blessing at Mass for foster and adoptive families in the parish – English Spanish 

          • Include Intercessions for Foster Youth during Mass. 

          • Ask your pastor to read our report on Foster  Care and tie in foster and adoption in his homily. 

          • Place our flyers in the parish so families can earn about fostering – English Spanish

          • Place our posters in the back of the church to raise awareness.  - English Spanish

          • Download flyers for CASA, Olive Crest, and Foster All
           
          • Like and share our posts in social media about Foster Care.
        • Schools & religious ed classes

          Host a Drive!

          Youth in foster care often lack the basic clothes they need. Many have to carry all their belongings in trash bags as they leave their homes. You can help foster youth by collecting items for them.  Have fun and collect practical items like pajamas on Pajama Day, socks on Crazy Sock Day, backpacks at Back to School, or duffel bags. Donate the items to an organization that helps foster children, call us and we can connect you (213)637-7690.  
           

          • Send flyers home with your students – send our flyer home to families and include a little blurb on why you’re hosting a drive.  
           
          • ​​​​​​​Invite a speaker – after you collect the items, to present to your school students and parents about the need for foster families. 
        • Families


          Become a Foster Family 

          Is your family called to be a foster family to children in need? Perhaps you have questions: How long is the process? Is there compensation? Do you need to own a house?
          Foster All can answer your questions. There are dozens of foster family agencies, ready to serve you, let Foster All help find the best agency for your family.

          Families can also support families who are fostering

          We know that in our Catholic Communities many families have opened their hearts and their homes to foster children. Let’s build a community around families who are helping children in need.
          Your family can be a resource family to families who are fostering!

          • You can pray for the health and well-being of foster parents
          • You can help cook meals for foster families
          • You can sponsor a movie night or family outing for a foster family

          You can support foster youth in other ways too:

          • Mentoring foster kids through Big Brothers, Big Sisters or KidSave
          • Host a family brunch for kids in group homes at the parish.
          • Host drives for duffel bags or clothes for foster youth.
          • Volunteer as a family with one of the organizations who serve foster children
          • You can sponsor a movie night or family outing for a foster family
      • Become a Safe Families’ Church

        • Safe Families is an innovative collaboration between area churches, volunteers, and childcare professionals to support at-risk children and parents in need – with the goal of keeping children out of foster care. The parish community would support a family in crisis, whether the parents are facing sickness, hospital stays, homelessness, job loss, jail time, drug addiction, or another crisis. Trained families from the parish would welcome children under 18 years old into their homes free for as long as the family needs. The average length of stay is about six weeks, and the biological family maintains parental rights. Visit Olive Crest to learn more about their local Safe Families program.

        • Individuals


          Become a CASA 

          Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) are trained volunteers who represent and advocate for youth in the dependency court system. Each CASA represents the best interests of the child and makes a life-changing difference. Learn more HERE!

          Single persons can also become foster parents. Learn about steps to become a foster parent. (Spanish)

          Become a Foster Parent!

          Are you called to be a Foster Parent? Perhaps, you have questions: How long is the process? Is there compensation? Do you need to own a house?
          Foster All can answer your questions. There are dozens of fostering agencies, ready to serve you, let Foster All help find the best agency for you.

          Volunteer- Make a difference in a child life

          Many organizations lack resources and are always looking for volunteers to help with programs and events. Volunteering is also a great way to learn not just about foster care but also an organization’s mission. This will help you focus on an area that perhaps you hear a calling to.  

          Help raise awareness

          A simple way to help is to create awareness about foster care. Follow organizations on social media and spread the good work they are doing.  

          • educate your self on foster adoption

            County resources from the Children and Family Services Departments 

            Los Angeles County 

            FosterLAKids.com 

            Ventura County 

            https://strengtheningvcfamilies.org/ 

            Santa Barbara County 

            https://ourcountyourkids.org/ 

          • Join the Catholic Legislative Network 

            Sign up for the Catholic Legislative Network’s email alerts so you can raise your voice for children and youth in foster care in the California legislature. 

            Educate Yourself and Your Parish with Angelus News Articles: 

            • Fostering hope: L.A. churches part of growing foster care movement 

            • How to foster a culture of life: A suicide survivor’s miraculous witness 

            • Considering the options for infertile couples 

            • Wholly family: The joy of foster care 

            • Why women aren’t choosing adoption – and how pro-lifers can change that 

            • The perfect gift of adoption 

            • Johnny, Felicia, and Soren: An adoption story 

            • Life after foster care: How young adults are winding up on the streets 

            • A Plan That is Always Good​ 

            • Adoption and a Pro-Life Anthropology  



             

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          Office of Life, Justice, & Peace
          3424 Wilshire Blvd,
          Los Angeles, CA 90010

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