May is National Foster Care Month

As a way to raise awareness of the experiences of the more than 400,000 children and youth in foster care in the United States, 

May has been designated as National Foster Care Month since 1988, thanks to the efforts of the National Foster Parent Association and then-Senator Strom Thurmond, and the support of each President since. In the early years, the focus was on recognizing the efforts of foster parents across the nation. Its focus changed during the 1990s to older youth in foster care, and today’s efforts continue to address permanency for youth in care. This year’s theme is “Change A Lifetime” in order to encourage individuals to work to positively change the lives of children and youth in foster care.
There are many ways you can get involved with this campaign. For ideas, visit the official website at http://www.fostercaremonth.org. There you can find ideas based on how much time you are able to give (minutes, hours, weeks, or more). For information and other resources, check out the Child Welfare Information Gateway’s webpage devoted to this month. Additionally, the Child Welfare Policy Blog has highlighted some important federal legislation that affects youth in foster care.