THE NEED:
Children are removed from their homes and placed in foster care due to neglect, abandonment, or because they are the victim of physical, sexual, or emotional abuse. Because of this trauma, they oftentimes experience PTSD at a rate more than twice that of combat veterans. When children are removed from the home, they are confused and frightened, and they need the temporary protection and nurturing that a foster family can provide. We know that trauma can be healed in the context of healthy, supportive relationships. (Sources)
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OUR SOLUTION:The Love Box program provides foster families with community and holistic support so that they can continue to do the important and meaningful work of being a foster parent. As a Love Box group, volunteers will be matched with a local foster family based on compatibility and scope of needs. When our families are matched with committed volunteers who show up monthly, parents feel more supported and children gain a greater sense of belonging and self-confidence. This program requires a one year commitment.
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Young women in foster care are more than twice as likely as their peers (not in foster care) to become pregnant by age 19.
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Nationally, 50% of the homeless population spent time in foster care.
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Only about 50% of those who age out of care will obtain a high school diploma.
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97% of children in foster care will not graduate from college, despite the fact that as wards of the state, they receive a full-ride to any state school of their choice.
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