As February winds down – the season of Valentines and the American Heart Month – it might be worthwhile to open our hearts to those outside our social circle of family and friends. Specifically, we’re talking about the children and families we serve.

Those of us who work in child welfare regularly meet and interact with families struggling with addiction, poverty, and generational trauma. We also work through foster care to protect and provide for children in those families and to help them heal from said trauma.

Every day we deal with extremes. Every day we meet with a mixed bag of stories both heartwarming and heartbreaking.

We need more open hearts to help us in our mission.

It doesn’t take much to be a foster or kinship parent – just a genuine desire to provide a child with a temporary, safe place to lay their head. Foster parents open their home and their heart to children going through challenging times. They provide structure, support, understanding, security, and love.

Perfection is not required.

Have you been considering foster care? Has it crossed your mind as a way to contribute to your community, to help one (or some) of its most vulnerable members?

Are you looking for a way to bring positive change to your life, to help make the world better for at least one person?

There are kids in care who need you … now.

We have lots of ways you can help them. No doubt one of those ways will work for you. But you’ve got to take that first step. Is there room in your heart for another? If so, visit https://saintfrancisministries.org/foster-care/ to get started.

We can’t wait to introduce you to someone special.