Give Hope - Simple Foster Family Support

Here's a list of some practical and simple suggestions to provide support and encouragement to foster families in your community.

Meals

Mealtime can be some of the most hectic time of each day. What to fix? How long will it take? Will everyone be home at the same time? Add to that the adjustment of a new person in your home that you are trying to make comfortable and get settled from a very traumatic day or visitation, and well....you get the picture. It can be challenging to say the least. To have a friend or neighbor show up with a freshly cooked meal....now wouldn't that be nice!? 

Or how about bringing over a few extra frozen meals for you to pull from your freezer as needed?

Or even a gift card to a local family friendly or fast food restaurant would be a welcome gift and relief for any busy family! 

Last minute? No worries! Just order a pizza to be delivered to their home courtesy of a friend who cares and make someone's day!

Appointments

This was a biggie for me! I don't know what I would have done without the help of family and friends. With 4 children of our own at the time, and an additional placement of 1 or 2 children, there were enough weekly appointments to make your head spin! Doctors. Dentists. Therapists. Activities. This is in addition to regular visits from social workers, case managers and arranging parental visits when required. Needless to say, it makes for a very hectic schedule. To have someone offer to ride along with me and entertain the children while I took only the specific ones in that needed to go was something I never took for granite! There were even times that someone would meet me at a nearby playground and allow the kids some playtime while I attended appointments with the others. Not only were their extra eyes and hands a blessing, the time they took from their day and spent with me was always an encouragement as well.

Childcare

Free babysitting is a gift with immeasurable value!

Whether it allows for some one-on-one time with a child that just needs a little extra attention or a date night out for mom and dad, having another person that cares for your family provide this much needed time away is priceless! It can refresh and renew relationships and equip you for the challenges you don't even know are ahead.
If you have children close to the same ages as children within a foster family, this can also work out as a great time for them to have some "kid time" too!

For the most part, each of these things are very inexpensive and mainly consistent of us just giving of our time. When we give of our time it not only fulfills a specific need, but it also reminds people that we care for them. A beautiful way to "Give Hope" if you ask me!