The month of May is almost over and did you know that May is National Foster Care Month?
Unfortunately, due to various barriers of entry, there are currently not enough foster parents who are LGBTQ+, Latinos, single or anyone that doesn’t fit the “traditional” marriage description. This month, it’s RaiseAChild’s mission to help inform and overcome the barriers for these communities and encourage more people to consider becoming a foster parent! 

Please join us tomorrow, Friday, May 21st on Instagram live at 4pm Los Angeles time for a chat with Raise a Child’s CEO, Richard Valenza.

As the father of two children adopted through the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, Rich understands firsthand the trials and tribulations of LGBT community members and of single parents who seek to build families. He has used his expertise in working with leading national and international corporations to form strategic partnerships with community service agencies, national and regional LGBT organizations, and businesses to build RaiseAChild’s strength and influence.

Here are some Myth Busters about Foster Care Shared from RAISE A CHILD:

❌ “You have to be wealthy to foster a child” – There are many ways to provide love and support to a child that doesn’t require you to be wealthy.  ❌ “Foster parents are English speaking, heterosexual, cisgender, etc.” – There are foster parents from all sorts of backgrounds, and everyone’s background can provide a unique perspective that a foster child might need.  ❌ “You should only foster or adopt a  – There are over 400,000 children and youth in foster care, and many of them age out of the system at 20-21 because they never found a stable foster home. We want people to know that all of these kids and youth are worthy of a stable and unconditionally loving home regardless of their past or current circumstances.  ❌ “Foster children are ‘troubled’” – Please avoid language like “troubled youth” or make assumptions about foster youth. This stereotype often carries a lot of baggage for a teen or young adult in foster care. Certainly children and youth in foster care have had their brush with trauma, and that does need to be considered so they have access to the right resources, but this doesn’t define these children and youth in their entirety. We want to focus on how loving and amazing and deserving they are now, rather than focus on a “hero” mentality when fostering a “troubled youth”.

xoxo,

LA Mami,

Julie Lopez