In recognition of Foster Care Awareness Month this May, the Children's Bureau is emphasizing foster care as "a support to families, not a substitute for parents." Foster care is an incredibly important service provided by willing families as child welfare workers develop a solution to move children in care towards a situation of permanency. To learn more about foster care, visit the website for the Child Welfare Information Gateway to access a number of resources and information about how you can get involved.

Charles and Judy have fostered over 60 children in the past five years. They have always loved children, and when their own children became adults, they decided to open their home to children in foster care after speaking with experienced friends. Over the years, they have gained profound insights through their experiences with foster care.

"Every child and every situation is different. We are continually learning and growing within the foster care system," said Charles. "Some placements last a few days or weeks, while others may last years. Some children come with only the clothes on their backs."

Charles and Judy continue to foster because they recognize "the great need for and shortage of good foster parents," and they know that "[the children] are going back to a much better home and situation than when they left."

They advise those considering foster care that "when the child leaves your care, it should hurt a little, else you are not doing it right. Reunification, getting them back to their home, is always the main objective, even when they take a piece of your heart with them."

Pendleton Place's Assessment Center works with both biological families and foster families to help meet the needs of and develop permanent solutions for children experiencing foster care. Clients like Charles and Judy are able to conveniently access evaluative services and receive the support needed to effectively care for the children placed in their home.

Each year, an increasing number of families experience the removal of a child due to a range of factors, from abuse and neglect to financial hardship, substance abuse, or mental health concerns. It is important to recognize that circumstances like these do not mean that the children involved are unloved. In most cases, the family simply needs some help.