May is Foster Parent Appreciation Month

(WAND) - May is Foster Parent Appreciation Month.

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is recognizing May as a time to acknowledge foster families and caregivers who open their hearts and homes to the state's most vulnerable children.

“Our incredible foster parents, relative and kinship caregivers are our true partners as we work to transform Illinois from a child welfare system into a child well-being system,” said Illinois DCFS Director Heidi E. Mueller. “Their commitment not only helps create brighter futures for children, but it also strengthens our shared vision – that every child and youth can grow and thrive in a family.”

Illinois DCFS offers services to ensure foster parents have the support they need to help the children in their home. This includes ongoing training and a monthly stipend to help cover essentials such as food, clothing and housing.

Youth in care also get medical coverage, therapeutic, educational, recreational and crisis support services, and access to caseworkers and peer support groups.

The DCFS Startup Funds Program provides preloaded Visa cards to help offset the costs and provide items a child needs when they arrive at the home. This allows caregivers to quickly buy bedding, clothing, personal hygiene items and other essentials to help the child.

The new Relative Caregiver Certification program, made possible through the passage of the KIND Act, provides increased financial benefits and a simplified process for relatives, such as grandparents, to become certified caregivers.

Foster homes are needed for children of all ages, including sibling groups, adolescents, African American and Latino children, children with special medical needs, teenage mothers and their babies and LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or questioning, intersex and asexual) children. To learn more about some of the children in need of a foster family, visit the Heart Gallery of Illinois at https://letitbeus.org/heart-gallery-of-illinois/.

To learn more about becoming a licensed foster parent, fill out the online interest form on the DCFS website: https://dcfs.illinois.gov. Click on Loving Homes, then on Become a Foster or Adoptive Parent.