It seems like the news out of Muskegon for the child welfare system is never good these days. There are just so many kids in care, and so few homes to try to adequately provide for them.
Make no mistake, there are great things being done in Muskegon, at times heroic efforts are being made on the part of the individuals trying to keep this patchwork of a support network together. But the numbers are hard to reconcile – 450 children in foster care in a county with a population of around 170k people. (By contrast, neighboring Ottawa county has around 180 kids in care, and a population of 270k people to care for them).
The odds feel like they are stacked against Muskegon. The pressure is being felt at all levels of child welfare, both public and private agencies.
If ever you thought about getting involved, this is the time.
But foster care in Muskegon is not a lost cause! There is so much that can still be done. There are two main ways we are suggesting to deal with the present crisis.
1 – We need more foster homes
How can you help? For one, if you’ve ever thought about becoming a foster parent, you’ve never been needed more than right now. Fill out the form below to get connected with information on how to take first steps.
How else can you help? We host informational nights at churches and groups to answer questions about foster care and adoption. If you are connected to a church or community group and would like to host an informational night, contact us! We are foster and adoptive parents who have been there and done that, and we can share some of our stories and what foster care looks like.
Are you connected with a school, business, or community event? You could invite someone to host a table at your event and answer questions and distribute information about foster care and adoption. Again, contact us to get connected to these resources
2 – We need to support the homes we already have so they can keep going!
There are lots of ways you can help support foster care and foster families in Muskegon. From donating gently used clothes and new socks/underwear to our clothing closet, to hosting respite nights with your church, or sponsoring our events from your business.
We have a support team for Muskegon who helps support foster families whenever there is a need. If you’d like to be notified when there is a need so you can offer support, connect with us to join the support team!
Being a Foster Parent might not be for everyone, but anyone can play a part in caring for foster kids.
For an illustration of what happens when there aren’t enough foster homes in a community, and some thoughts about what we can do about it, take a look at this video.