Even shuttered, foster parents keep the door open for children; here’s how you can help

May 1, 2020

Saint Lucie West –

While most of us are restricting access to our homes and to each other during the COVID-19 shut down, there is one group of people in our community who keep the proverbial door open.

Foster parents are essential and on the job, serving children in the community who, amidst the stress and isolation of a statewide quarantine, continue to enter care.

Now there is something the community can do to help make that job a little easier.

Communities Connected for Kids unveiled its Adopt a Foster Family initiative today, in recognition of National Foster Parent Appreciation Month.

Organizers hope to engage community sponsors interested in creating care packages for local foster families. Sponsors can be anyone - families, individuals, church members, businesses, or social groups.

The project will match sponsors to local foster families, and CCKids staff will coordinate pick-up and delivery of the care packages.

Care packages don't have to be elaborate or expensive. Rather, they may include family games, gift certificates to restaurants or gift cards to an ice cream parlor for later in the year, when the quarantine is lifted.

Interested in helping? Email Christina Kaiser for more information and to be matched to a foster family.

If you’re interested in becoming a foster parent, CCKids and its contracted recruitment agencies are offering training classes via Zoom. Call 772-873-7800 and ask for Jerra Wisecup.