May is National Foster Care month — a month set aside to acknowledge foster parents, family members, volunteers, mentors, policymakers, child welfare professionals, and other members of the community who help children and youth in foster care find permanent homes and connections. National Foster Care month is also a time to raise awareness about the urgent needs of these young people and encourage citizens to get involved.
- On any given day there are more than 400,000 children in foster care in the United States, with over 8,000 children in foster care in the state of Florida, and over 270 of those children are in Brevard County.
- The length of stay in foster care varies from a few days to several years. The average length of time a child is in foster care in Brevard is nine months.
Since its inception in 2005, over 4,300 abused, neglected, and abandoned children have been placed into the Brevard Family Partnership System of Care. The care and support of the foster families and relative caregivers have provided to the children of Brevard County has helped our community reach its goal of building better lives for Brevard’s children.
Brevard’s strong foster care program was fashioned by the community’s desire to care for Brevard’s children in Brevard County. When a child needs a safe place to stay, with caring adults who have their best interest at heart, it’s good to know that we have some of the best foster parents here on the Space Coast.
Brevard Family Partnership’s foster parents, group care facilities, and relative caregivers are as diverse as the children we serve, but all have these things in common: they care deeply about children, and are willing to step up and step in when a child needs them.
Foster Care Month also provides an opportunity for acknowledging the 120 dedicated foster families and other caring individuals that are already supporting these children and young adults.
There are few restrictions to becoming a foster parent; almost anyone who has the capacity to care for a child or young adults can become one.
“Brevard Family Partnership would like to extend our gratitude to our many foster families for their dedication and commitment, and for heeding the call to help Brevard’s most vulnerable children. You have made a lasting difference in the lives of so many children and families; you have fostered hope through foster care. You open your hearts and homes to children and teens in need of care and nurturing and a place to call home, be it for a week, a month or more while their families work to become safe and stable. While May is a month set aside to honor you, our foster parents, please know we value and recognize your dedication and efforts every day of the year.” — Dr. Patricia Nellius, Brevard Family Partnership CEO
If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a foster parent, please contact Devereux Florida’s Child Placing Agency at (321) 752-3111 or visit Brevardfp.org.
This article appears in the May 2015 issue of SpaceCoast Living.
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