How Else Can I Help? Supporting Montana Children in Foster Care by Helping Their Foster Families Part 2
Montana is facing a foster care crisis. As of December, 2,600 Montana children were in foster care because they had been abused, neglected, or abandoned by their families. At 406 Families, we are spending the summer learning more about foster care through our contributor Abby Riley. Read more of Abby’s writing about foster care here, here, here, and here.
If you have a heart for children in foster care but aren’t in a place to become a licensed foster parent, there are so many ways you can help - both by directly supporting kids in foster care, and by supporting foster families in your community. Read suggestions for getting involved at the community level here.
Aside from the many ways to get involved at the community level, there are also countless ways to support foster families. If you have friends or family members who are foster parenting (or if you want to get to know some local foster families), some ways you could offer support are:
Feed them: Food is one of the BEST ways to support foster families. Offer to set up a meal train when they receive a new placement, drop off dinner when you know they have an especially heavy or busy week, buy a lot of kid friendly snacks and easy breakfast items and leave them at their doorstep. We had someone go grocery shopping when we had a sibling set placed with us and they stocked us up on all of the classic kid foods - pb&j fixings, macaroni and cheese, crackers, fruit, etc - and it was so helpful during the first couple of weeks to have lots of familiar, safe foods on hand that were easy to prepare.
Clothing: Often children come into foster care with very little - several of our placements have arrived with just the clothes they were wearing, and some have come without any shoes. When a foster family you know accepts a new placement, find out the children’s clothing and shoe sizes and drop things off to the family. And as your children outgrow clothes and shoes, consider handing them down to a foster family.
Run their errands: If you are headed to Costco, text them and ask what is on their Costco list, pick it up for them, and drop it by their house. Return their overdue library books. Grab their weekly grocery pickup order for them. Find out what errands they have during the week and see which ones you can take off of their plate!
Do their laundry: During one of our placements, we had a friend who would consistently text me every week or so to ask if we had dirty laundry she could pick up, wash, fold, and return within 24 hours. AMAZING.
Do their yardwork: Offer to come mow their lawn weekly. Sweep up their leaves in the fall. Weed their garden in the spring. Shovel their snow in the winter. Oftentimes, yardwork is something that can go by the wayside in the chaos of a new placement or in a difficult, busy season with a child. Having that taken care of is a huge load off for a family and is a great practical help.
Babysit: This is such a great, practical way to help. You can give two-parent foster homes a date night, or single parent foster homes a night off. You can babysit children in foster care while the parents have special time with their permanent children, or you can babysit permanent children while the foster parents bond with their new children.
Provide transportation: There are often many, many appointments for a child in foster care, and all of the driving can become overwhelming for foster families. Offer to help transport children to and from visits, appointments, or daycare/school. Alternatively, offer to hang out with the other children in the home while the foster parent attends appointments without dragging all of the other children along.
Diaper delivery: If you know someone who is fostering a baby/toddler that is in diapers, find out what size they are in and what brand the parents prefer and have a box of diapers and wipes delivered to their home every few weeks. Such a huge help!
Be there for them: Foster parenting is hard. It is intense. It can often feel very lonely and like nobody gets it. If you have a foster parent in your life, check in with them. A text or a call to let them know you were thinking of them and to see how things are going goes a really long way.
In 2020, a child entered foster care every 150 seconds in the United States. Montana has approximately 2,600 children currently in foster care. We can all make a difference in the lives of these children, whether it is by becoming licensed to provide foster care, by volunteering in our community, or by supporting our local foster families. The need is great, and so is the opportunity.
