National Foster Care Appreciation Month - We Applaud the Unsung Heroes

Foster parents are some of the many “unsung heroes” in Kern County. Each year, hundreds of heroic individuals and families enlist as foster parents to serve and support abused and neglected children. Although there may be some foster families that harm and further abuse children in their care, the fact remains that most are helping hurting children to find peace, hope and love during crisis. It is these families and individuals we salute during “National Foster Care Appreciation Month” across the Nation. Without foster families rising to the cry of abused and neglected children, our community would suffer and a generation of children would be lost.

There are over 2500 children in the out-of-home placement system in Kern County who are placed through Child Protective Services and Probation. Many of these children will reunite with their families and only need a temporary placement to allow their biological parents to fulfill the requirements necessary to get them back home. Other children, unfortunately, will never return to their biological family and will need a long term solution such as adoption, guardianship or long-term foster care. Many of the foster parents that care for children as foster care placements end up being the long-term solution to the horrific community issue of child abuse and neglect. This is heroism at its finest!

The unsung heroes of foster care deserve our thanks. Just as warriors in our Nation have given their life sacrificially on the battle field, these “warriors” on the home front are battling the giant of child abuse and neglect and preparing the next generation for success. They deserve our appreciation. They work tirelessly with children that have been harmed by the hands that were destined to nurture and support them. Their dreams have been shattered and their hopes destroyed. Foster families restore hope, rebuild dreams and extend love and grace to better the children in their care and thereby our community.

I want to thank, on behalf of our community and the children, each foster family, mentor, caseworker, attorney, volunteer and officer for their commitment to children and restoring hope. Without your love, compassion and service our community would suffer greatly. You are doing something truly amazing by giving your life that another can find life! Thanks! We are indebted as are the children you serve.