PORTLAND — May is National Foster Care Month, and KidsPeace’s foster care operations in Maine are marking the occasion by emphasizing the demand for foster parents for the thousands of children in need of loving and supportive homes.
In the state of Maine alone, 2,200 children are being cared for in 1,700 fostering, adoptive and kinship care homes – part of the more than 400,000 foster children across the U.S. Each year, approximately 265,000 American children enter the foster care system, and the shortage of foster homes continues to pose challenges – especially in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
KidsPeace’s Maine foster care operations offer therapeutic foster care services to children from around the state with significant mental and behavioral health challenges. Foster parents in the KidsPeace program have experience in the mental health field and receive additional training to work with these kids, who are often left behind in more traditional fostering/adoption settings.
“The therapeutic foster parents we work with are some of the most dedicated people I’ve ever met. Being a therapeutic foster parent requires strong commitment but is one of the most fulfilling things that a person can do for their community,” said Stevie Bonnevie, family resource specialist at KidsPeace.
During National Foster Care Month, KidsPeace Foster Care in Maine is encouraging the display of blue ribbons – signifying support for foster children and calling attention to the need for more families to open their homes and hearts to kids in their communities.
If you or someone you know are wondering if being a foster parent is in your future, visit www.fostercare.com to learn more.
Since 1882, the nonprofit organization KidsPeace has been building on its expertise to give hope, help and healing to children, adults and those who love them. Through its comprehensive range of residential treatment programs; accredited educational services; unique psychiatric hospital and foster care and community-based programs, KidsPeace is dedicated to helping people connect, transform and overcome their challenges to ensure a stable future, transition to adulthood and gain independence. Since its doors opened, nearly 300,000 children have participated in one of the multitude of programs KidsPeace offers.
For additional resources or more information on how to get involved, become a foster parent or make a donation, please visit www.kidspeace.org. Follow us at www.facebook.com/kidspeace.org or on Twitter @KidsPeace.