May has long been recognized as Foster Care Month. Nationwide, more than 390,000 kids need a foster family, and in Tennessee, more than 8,000 kids need foster homes with approximately 4,000 foster homes available.
Foster Care Stories Articles
Foster Care Awareness Month
May has long been recognized as Foster Care Awareness Month. Nationwide, more than 390,000 kids need a foster family and in Tennessee, more than 8,000 kids need foster homes with approximately 4,000 homes available.
Helping foster families succeed
The state of foster care in Tennessee is in crisis. More children than ever need temporary, safe homes compared to the amount of open foster homes. Nationwide, a child is placed into foster care every two minutes, so the need is great. In Tennessee, more than 8,000 kids are in the foster care system with only around 4,000 certified foster homes available.
New law aims to help guide young adults who are aging out of foster care
The transition from childhood to adulthood can be a lot to handle alone, but it’s very much a reality for people in the foster care system. Around 20,000 age out of the system every year,
Foster care extension prepares TN young adults who ‘age out’ of system
Lawmakers recently passed legislation making extended foster care available to more youth in Tennessee. This means that more young adults who ‘age out’ of the foster care system, usually at the age of 18, are now eligible for an extension of foster care services until they turn 21.
A change of plans leads to adoption
Plans can change in a variety of ways. That was the case for Amy Abbott. Amy was looking for an opportunity to give back to the community, and she found that in fostering.
Fostering those most in need: teenagers
Several years ago, Mia Flowers felt moved to research fostering kids, but it wasn’t until she was reading the Bible with her husband, Ben, that the idea solidified for them both.
Family shares fostering and adoption story as state seeks more foster families
A Mt. Juliet family adopted their teenage son after several years of fostering children. Haynes and his wife Lacie explained their first foster children came through their doors in 2016 right as they were starting their own family.
Tennessee needs thousands of foster families, how you can help
Officials announced Tennessee was in need of thousands of foster homes as the number of foster children has grown. There was about 9,000 children in the system and about 4,000 foster homes as of Monday, according to Youth Villages.
Urgent call for foster parents in Tennessee
According to Youth Villages, a non-profit for children and families in Tennessee, there are almost 8,000 children in foster care in the state and the number continues to rise.