Foster parents come in all shapes and sizes. You don’t have to be wealthy, married, or live in a big house … You just have to care.

Here at Saint Francis Ministries, we say that often … because it’s true.

Yes, there are some minimum requirements that vary by state, but they’re by no means overwhelming. The most important thing is that foster parents be willing to open their homes to a young person going through a difficult time. Youth in care just need someone who will give them the benefit of the doubt, let them be themselves, and provide a respite from the chaos and uncertainty of their lives.

Children come to foster care from all walks of life and from every community. Many have experienced trauma, so they enter frightened, confused, and anxious. Whatever their story, each child in foster care needs a safe place to stay and a family to temporarily provide for their emotional, educational, medical, and special behavioral needs.

Our hope is always that their stay in foster care will be temporary and brief … just until their birth parents can work out their problems and acquire the skills they need to ensure safety in the home. Sometimes, that’s exactly how it turns out. Other times, it’s not.

Regardless, foster families provide a place where a child can feel valued and loved, even as they enter an unfamiliar space. They remind children in care that they do not deserve to be defined by the things that happen to them.

Foster parents provide daily care and support aimed at promoting healthy physical and emotional growth, recovery from trauma, and hope while children are separated from their family.

They are loving people doing loving work for people desperately in need of love.

Is there room in your life for a child in need? If so, visit our foster care page to learn more.