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      • Staff
      • COVID-19 Information
  • 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
      • Fertility Awareness
      • Foster Care & Adoption
      • Gender & Sexuality
    • H-O Resources
      • Healing After Abortion
      • Homelessness & Poverty
      • Human Trafficking
      • LA for Dreamers
      • Merciful Companions
      • Mental Health
      • OneLife LA
    • N-P Resources
      • Parish Leaders Resources
      • Pregnancy & Parenting Resources
      • Pornography & Digital Safety
      • Pregnancy & Infant Loss
      • Pregnancy and Parenting Resource Page
      • Pro-Life
    • R-Z Resources
      • Racism
      • Respect Life Month
      • Resources for Forming Faithful Citizenship and Voting
      • Sex Education & Information for Parents
      • Special Needs & Disabilities
      • Unplanned Resources
      • Youth Sexual Integrity
  • Events
      • LA Catholics Make an Impact/Serving Our Community
      • OneLifeLA
      • Respect Life Week
  • Stay Connected
  • We Were Born Ready
      • Home
      • Get Support
      • Get Involved
      • About Us
      • Vision
      • Mission
      • Resources
  • Homeless Persons’ Memorial
      • In Memory of
      • Resource Fair
      • Host a Drive
      • Community Partners
      • Media
  • MAY IS FOSTER CARE AWARENESS MONTH 
    MAY IS FOSTER CARE
    AWARENESS MONTH 
    “Children are always a gift; they change the history of every family. They are thirsty for love, gratitude, esteem, and trust. Being parents calls you to pass on to your children the joy of realizing that they are God’s children.” 
    -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 38,000 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.

      Los Angeles County has more children in foster care than other county in the nation. If children age out of the foster care system without a family, they face one of five paths:

      There are currently more than 38,000 children in foster care in Los Angeles County, one of the highest numbers in the nation.

      • 57.5% of foster children in LA are under the age of 9.
      • Upon aging out of foster care system and without a family, many will face 5 paths:
        • Homelessness – 40% of teens who age out of foster care will be homeless in 2 years.
        • Incarceration – 80% of current prison inmates have spent time in foster care.
        • Human trafficking – 85% of youth recovered in sex trafficking raids in Southern California were in the foster system.
        • Early Parenthood – 56% of 21 year old women who were formerly in the child welfare system are mothers
        • Poverty – 69% of teens who age out of foster care have been out of work at some point in the last year. *Source: https://lovehasnolimits.com/
    • We can all do our part to help children in foster care
      whether you are a parish, school a family or an individual.

    • 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 Emilianipatron of foster children.
       
      • Organize a blessing at Mass for foster and adoptive families in the parish. EnglishSpanish
      • 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.
      EnglishSpanish
      • Place our flyers in the parish so families learn about fostering. EnglishSpanish
      • Place posters in the back of the churchEnglishSpanish
       
      • Download flyers for CASA, Olive Crest, and Foster All
       
      • Like and share our posts in social media about Foster Care.

    • 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 we can connect you (213)637-769.

      • 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.

    • 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.


    • 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 Yourself on Foster and Adoption

      FosterLAKids.com
      The Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) has regular orientations and expos to help prospective families begin the process to foster or adopt. For more information, call 1-888-811-1121

    • Educate Students with Respect Life Week Curriculum

      Respect Life Week Adoption 

      Our annual Respect Life Week includes information for TK-12 about fostering and adoption, including a high school handout.

    • 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.

    • 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 and watch this video about Safe Families.

    • Educate Yourself and Your Parish with Angelus News Articles

       
      • LA’s Foster Hero: A Mother of a Hundred Kids
      • 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
    • Private or International Adoption

       
      • Call Bethany Christian Services at 1-800-238-4269 or visit Bethany.org
       
      • Visit Holy Family Services (through the Episcopal Church) at hfservices.ladiocese.org
       
      • Visit BraveLove.org to find more adoption resources and stories.
       
      • Watch this beautiful video “Embraced” to learn more about adoption.
  • Foster Care Adoption Organizations

    • CASA

    • Christian Fostercare Coalition 

    • Covenants for Kids

    • Department of Children & Family Services

    • Foster All

    • Holy Family Services

    • Home Forever

    • Kidsave

    • Olivecrest 

About

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

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Phone: (213) 637-7632 
[email protected]

 
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