You are not alone.

As adoptive, foster and safe family parents we know the following statistics to be true.

• There are roughly 450,000 children in our nation's foster system at any given time.
• Indiana has the second highest rate of child maltreatment in the nation and more children in foster care than all neighboring states.
• In Boone County we have around 100 children currently in the foster system. Many children are in relative or kinship placement. Meaning these families receive no assistance from the government.
• 50% of foster parents quit after their first year, or their first placement.
• A supportive community has been proven to help increase the retention rate of foster parents so they can continue the brave work they have started.

Foster/kinship and adoptive families need us!

Being a foster or adoptive parent also comes with some unique behavioral and parenting challenges such as:

• attachment disorders
• manipulation
• lying
• stealing
• control
• learning needs
• sleep disorders

And those just skim the surface.

Why do we need to know this? First, from the outside looking in, it can be challenging to realize the impact trauma can leave. It's as if the wounds are invisible. They create some maladaptive behaviors in our children that don't make them bad but shows that something bad has happened to them. And second, it  gives us a glimpse into the home of some foster and adoptive families. Many of them would never share this with you.

Foster families, we want you to know that you are not alone.  This promise is woven all throughout scripture, "Do not be afraid, I am with you." We want you to be filled with hope as you bravely care for the children in your home. 

Our support can come in small practical ways. This is where Packing Hope aims to step in. We hope to wrap around families and offer them relief so they can continue to do the good work that they set out to do and not grow weary. So they won't give up after one year as statistics have shown. 

What resources can you expect PH to offer? Through donations from our generous community over the next year we hope to offer our foster/kinship families:

• packed backpacks
• meals
• restuarant gift cards
• birthday bags

May our foster families and children be encouraged to know that you are not alone!