NCHS to educate families during National Foster Care Month

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (May 7, 2018) – May is National Foster Care Month, a time to recognize that we can each play a role in enhancing the lives of children in foster care.

Many children in foster care need a temporary caregiver who can both focus on the child’s well-being while supporting their parents as they work to reunify.

In Nebraska, there are more than 4,000 children in out-of-home care. Some of these children have spent years in foster care and are seeking reunification with their families or permanency with a family member or mentor.

This year’s theme for National Foster Care Month is “It’s All Relative: Supporting Kinship Connections” to encourage awareness about the need to reunify children with their families.

“Research has shown us that children grow best with their parents, extended family members or others with whom they have a close relationship,” said Michelle Moline, director of Foster Care and Pathways to Permanency for Nebraska Children’s Home Society.

A local family that embodies the goal of reunifying children with their families is Jerod and Stephanie Dack in Shelton, Nebraska. The Dacks became foster parents with Nebraska Children’s Home Society in 2012. During that time, they have provided foster care to nine children, mentoring the mothers’ of the children along the way.

Foster Care Information Sessions

During National Foster Care Month, Nebraska Children’s Home Society will host three Foster Care Information Sessions to educate the public about opportunities to support children in foster care. The sessions will also include information about services the organization provides children and families in the Tri-Cities (Grand Island, Hastings and Kearney).

Foster Care Information Sessions are scheduled for the following dates:

May 21, 2018 at 6:00 p.m.
Nebraska Children’s Home Society
1028 North Webb Road, Suite C in Grand Island, Nebraska

May 22, 2018 at 6:00 p.m.
Kearney Public Library
2020 1st Avenue in Kearney, Nebraska

May 23, 2018 at 6:00 p.m.
Hastings Public Library
314 North Denver Avenue in Hastings, Nebraska

To register for a foster care information sessions, please contact Lacie Wojtalewicz at (308) 201-0842 or fostercare@nchs.org.

“National Foster Care Month is an opportunity to educate the community about the needs of many youth in foster care and how we can support them,” said Lana Temple-Plotz, CEO of NCHS. “At NCHS, our goal is reunifying children with their families. Our foster parents, support both children and their families towards that goal.”

In the central region of Nebraska, NCHS offers foster care services to the following counties:  Sherman, Howard, Merrick, Buffalo, Hall, Phelps, Kearney, Adams, Hamilton and Clay.