May is filled with holidays and celebrations from Cinco de Mayo to Mother’s Day, but did you know the entire month is also dedicated to foster care? It’s National Foster Care month, with 31 days for celebrating foster parents, volunteers, policymakers, child welfare workers, and everyone else who provides support for the thousands of children in foster care systems around the country.
Spring is a time of growth and renewal, which makes it the perfect season to rededicate ourselves to serving the 400,000+ children and youth who depend on foster care.
Every person who’s made a difference in the lives of foster care youth can consider May the time to shine. A variety of reputable organizations around the nation train volunteers and dedicate time, energy, and resources to helping these children in need, but it’s individual human beings who ensure that these organizations thrive.
For more than 100 years, the Children’s Bureau has aided children in foster care, engaged them in decision-making challenges, and helped to bridge the gap between foster kids and foster families.
The birth of Foster Care Month
President Reagan officially declared May as Foster Care Month in 1988, although the Children’s Bureau was founded way back in 1912. In the early years, the “system” mostly consisted of a small number of religious and private organizations.
In 1919 and 1923, the bureau published two documents that studied child welfare and foster care in the U.S. But it wasn’t until World War II, when more than 8,000 children were evacuated from Europe and brought to the US, that foster care homes became a pressing concern.
In May 1970, the bureau published “The Rights of Foster Parents” in the agency’s journal Children. During that same year, the National Conference of Foster Parents was also established.
By 1972, President Nixon was ready to declare National Action for Foster Children Week in order to raise general public awareness. This was the precursor to Foster Care Month as we know it today.
How to celebrate
Each year, a Presidential proclamation is posted on the bureau’s website in order to honor everyone that contributes to foster care. If you’re involved in foster care, you can celebrate by rededicating yourself to service.
You can treat a foster care child or worker to a lunch, dinner, coffee, or another date, or consider donating your time, energy, or money to a local organization.
If you’re a foster parent already, make the most of this month and embrace it as a time for reflection. Thirty-one days aren’t really enough to show you how much you’re appreciated.
