Foster Parent Exclusive Benefit program helps foster families, provides opportunity for public-private partnerships

​When families choose to become foster families, they provide for their foster children as if they were one of their own. This means not only providing the basics like food, shelter and clothing, but also enriching the whole child. From simple things like furniture or haircuts, to more specific opportunities like dance classes or meaningful play that supports both body and mind, raising children is expensive.  
“While DHS and its partner agencies are able to offer a number of supports to families who choose to foster, like medical coverage for the children, reimbursements to meet the children’s needs, as well as connections to local resources, we know that resource gaps still exist,” said Ashley Hahn, Oklahoma Fosters Executive Director. “For this reason, we are excited to announce the Foster Parent Exclusive Benefit program which represents another important resource for foster families and a unique public-private partnership between the agency and participating businesses.”

Certified Oklahoma foster families have been mailed Exclusive Benefit cards entitling their households to membership discounts at more than a dozen businesses around the state. These membership cards are non-transferable and must only be used by the foster parent to whom they were issued and whose signature appears on the back of the card. From clothing and accessories, to dance classes and construction services, these businesses are acknowledging that it truly does take a village to raise a child. Find out about the discounts and participating businesses at https://okfosters.org/benefits/.  
If your business would like to join the village supporting Oklahoma’s children in foster care and their foster families, partner now by visiting https://okfosters.org/get-involved/partner-now/. If you are not sure what you would like to offer but want to help in some way, submit your form, and someone from the Oklahoma Fosters partnership team will contact you to discuss options that could most benefit foster families.

For more information on becoming a foster parent, call the Foster Care and Adoption Support Center at 1-800-376-9729, or visit https://okfosters.org/.  

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