May is dedicated to celebrating and supporting the professionals, families, and care-givers in their critical role of taking care of children in the foster care system. The theme of 2023’s Foster Care Month sponsored by the Children’s Bureau, emphasizes “the need to take a holistic and culturally responsive approach to supporting the mental health needs of those involved with child welfare.”
There are over 391,000 children in the foster care system nationally and based on 2022 data 21,808 children in the Florida foster case system. These youth are in a unique situation and it is important to ensure foster care youth know their rights and are able to access mental health resources too. We must do everything we can to ensure young people in Florida have the ability to reach their fullest potential.
In honor of Foster Care Month, we come together to celebrate our foster care workers, parents and community. If you want to support the foster care community, you can find a list of ways to spread awareness found at the Children’s Bureau. There are many different organizations in Orlando that also support youth in foster care!
Check out the organizations below within the Orlando area for assistance, education, and awareness:
- Children’s Home Society of Florida:
- A nonprofit organization that provides services and support to children and families in need, including adoption, foster care, and counseling.
- Devereux
- A nonprofit serving as one of Florida’s most comprehensive child welfare and behavioral healthcare organizations, supporting children with mental health, intellectual/developmental disabilities and behavioral health challenges, and their families.
- Florida Youth Sunshine
- A youth-led, peer-driven organization that empowers current and former youth in foster care to become leaders and advocates within their communities.
- A Chosen Child:
- An adoption agency that works to match prospective adoptive parents with children in need of a loving home.
- Sunshine State Adoption & Home Study Services:
- An adoption agency that provides home study evaluations and adoption placement services for families in Florida.
- Central Florida Children’s Home:
- A residential home that provides care and support for abused, neglected, and abandoned children in Central Florida.
- Foundation For Foster Children:
- A nonprofit organization that works to improve the lives of children in foster care by providing education, support, and advocacy.
All of these organizations work to provide much needed services for children to ensure they can live their lives to their fullest potential.