Let’s help abandoned and abused kids

OPINION:

In 1988, Republican President Ronald Reagan and a Democratic-controlled Congress united to establish May as the nation’s first National Foster Care Month. Their joint call to action urged Americans to “ensure that abandoned or abused children have the opportunity to live in healthy, loving homes.”

Despite 36 years of bipartisan efforts, foster care remains “a crisis intervention system in crisis,” as George Washington University described it back then. The system constantly struggles to find homes for these vulnerable children.

I’m reminded of a 1906 headline in a Missouri newspaper announcing the arrival of homeless children on an orphan train from the East. It read, “Wanted: Homes for Children.” More than a century later, we could post the same heartbreaking headline.

Nationwide estimates show there is one licensed home available for every two children in need. Government offices, cars and even jail cells serve as holding tanks. Tens of thousands of children pray today for a family to adopt them.

Could that be you? Here are three reasons to consider opening your home today.

Over half of Americans consider providing foster care, but most are unsure if they’re eligible, according to a Kidsave-Gallup poll. If you’ve got a safe place to live, there’s a good chance you can help. Regulations vary by state, but broadly speaking, you don’t have to be married, wealthy, or own your home. You need the ability and desire to provide and care for a child.

Second, safe and loving homes are needed for children of all ages. When I signed up to become a foster parent, I had my heart set on making a difference in a teenager’s life. But then, a social worker’s plea changed everything. “We have newborns sleeping in shelters,” she said. “If you could open a crib, we’d be thankful.” It was a wake-up call.

Half of children entering foster care are 5 years old or younger, desperately needing a safe and loving home. As a foster parent, you can choose the ages of children best suited for you and your family. The opportunity to transform a young life could be just a crib away.

Embarking on the journey of fostering opens up a world of unknowns. Some children may need your care for only a few days, while others might become a permanent part of your family through adoption. If the uncertainty feels overwhelming, there’s still a way to make a meaningful impact: Become a respite provider.

Respite care offers a vital break for both foster parents and children, providing a pause from the daily demands and routine of fostering. It’s a way to support the foster care community and make a difference in the lives of children, even if you’re not ready for a long-term commitment.

For those who step up to nurture the children of strangers, Reagan’s proclamation offers timeless gratitude: “Thanks for the sacrifices and dedication of the many foster parents and concerned professionals working in the field of foster care. Their jobs require extraordinary patience and love, and their rewards are often reaped only years after their primary labor is done — when the child is grown and fully appreciates what has been done for him or her or when society pauses from its hectic rush forward to recognize the good they have accomplished.”

Around the time I was preparing to foster a fifth child, a friend remarked that it seemed like a crazy thing to do. One made sense. But five?

I responded: If a child appeared hungry and cold on your doorstep, would you bring him in? Most of us would answer with a resounding yes.

Abandoned and abused children can’t make their way to our doorsteps, but we can make our way to theirs.

• Darcy Olsen is the founder and CEO the Center for the Rights of Abused Children, a recipient of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Adoption Excellence Award, and a 10-time foster parent.