Connecting Open Arms And Homes To Children In Need

“The Crisis in Foster Care” read the Washington Post headline. The article, dated January 10, 2020, talked about “an acute shortage of foster parents.” A simple online search yields numerous links to similar articles in recent years, decrying the shortage of foster families – both nationally and locally.

Less than a decade ago, there were fewer than 400,000 children in the United States foster care system (down from over 550,000 a few years earlier). Over the past several years, that number has steadily grown to nearly 440,000. Child welfare advocates point to the opioid crisis as one of the reasons for the increasing numbers of children in the system.

Given the increasing numbers of children in the foster care system, it is little surprise that there is a shortage of foster homes to take these kids. Opening your arms to a child who has experienced abuse or neglect should come naturally to all of us. Opening your home takes another level of commitment.

Charlotte County, FL is in need of more families willing to open their homes and their hearts to children in foster care. Angie Matthiessen, Executive Director of United Way of Charlotte County shares, “Charlotte County has the second highest rate of child abuse for children ages 5 to 11 in the state of Florida.”  She goes on to share “this is not the kind of ranking where you want to be at the top, but unfortunately that is where we are.” Our families are in crisis and our children need a haven while their families receive support to help them flourish. 

Learn more about how Camelot is partnering to address this issue, read Angie’s full article published in the SUN Port Charlotte on October 31, 2020 here: https://bit.ly/37XRQTw