Foster care creates meaningful connections for children in state custody and their biological families May is National Foster Care Month
OKLAHOMA CITY (May 3, 2021) -- National Foster Care Awareness Month 2021 is focused on foster care as a support to children and families. Oklahoma Human Services (OKDHS) knows that hope, healing and reunification can occur when communities work together to create supports and strengthen meaningful connections for children in state custody and their families. Foster families play a vital part in this process by becoming one of those connections for biological families, while also providing a safe, loving temporary home for the children in their care. During the month of May, OKDHS asks the community to help us raise awareness about the many ways Oklahomans can support foster care, and celebrate the individuals and families who have stepped forward to become foster parents.
“The last year has been incredibly hard, but it has also helped us collectively remember to get back to basics,” said Dr. Deborah Shropshire, OKDHS Child Welfare Director. “Healthy, meaningful connections are critical for our mental and physical health, but many Oklahoma families do not naturally have these kinds of support systems, pandemic or not. I’m proud of our state’s nearly 4,200 foster families, and thankful for the love, support and stability they bring to children in foster care and their families.”
The goal of foster care is to offer supports to strengthen families so they can reunify, whenever safely possible. In state fiscal year 2020, over 1,900 children left state care through reunification. This is the ultimate success both for OKDHS and for the families we served together with our community partners, because it means the families were able to use the services and tools they received to correct the conditions that led to the removal of their children. Reunification also ensures children maintain long-term connections to their kin, culture and community, which are the overall goals of Child Welfare Services.
“I challenge all Oklahomans to consider how they can support their neighbors and communities to help families before they come into crisis,” said Shropshire. “We can’t do this work without your help. But, when we all support families together, you’ll want to be there on the front lines to celebrate with us as lives are changed and hope is restored.”
To learn more about foster care or to connect with a foster care recruiter in your area, call 1-800-376-9729 or visit https://okfosters.org/. Follow OKDHS and Oklahoma Fosters on social media for stories recognizing the importance of foster care and celebrating some of the state’s many foster families.
OKDHS will also be hosting a HOPE Foster Family Application Drive from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 15 in Oklahoma City for families interested in an expedited foster care application process. Families can complete their application paperwork, required verifications, medical exam and fingerprints all in a family-friendly setting with child care and snacks provided. For more information on the HOPE Foster Family Application Drive, call 405-802-8407 or register at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0845aaab2cabf94-hope. Registration and masks are required for attendance.
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