Since 1988, Foster Care Awareness Month has been dedicated to highlighting the importance of fostering and adopting. There are thousands of children in the country who need a loving and caring home, and this month is a key reminder to give back to the kids who come from tough circumstances.  

There’s a need for more families to take up the responsibilities, even with a disparity in resources when it comes to the foster care system. Spectrum News 1 spoke with the organization Northern Rivers to find out more. Their mission is to empower children, adults and families in building stronger and safer communities.

What You Need To Know

  • According to the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, there are more than 15,000 children in foster care in the state

  • Sixty-three percent of the children are from communities of color

  • Twenty-two percent of children in the foster care system are teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18

“I would say, our foster parents, the way they are and they show up, they really show unconditional support in caring and love for the children," said Colleen Vogel, senior director of Foster Care at Northern Rivers Family of Services. "And that's really helpful for the kids to stabilize in. On the reverse end of things, you know, the foster parents say all the time how much the kids impacted them and that they notice themselves, how grateful they are and blessed that they are and, you know, take for granted."

Spectrum News 1 also spoke with a parent who is a part of Northern Rivers’ Foster Care Program, who broke down why she thinks the program is so important.

“We've been doing this for three years," said foster parent Kirsten Mitchell. "We've reunified different sets of kids, and the biggest blessing has still been able to talk to those kids and know they're doing well and love to see them thrive. It's important for everybody to have a place where they feel loved, the place they can call home, somewhere they can lay their head at night and be the person they need to be. And I think with foster kids, it's a little more important because they've gone through so many different hurdles and trauma already that they need that extra support."

You can visit northernrivers.org to find more about becoming a foster parent. It is a process with background checks and a 10-week training program to ensure that the children are taken care of appropriately and safely.