All children deserve a safe, happy life — including the children and youth in the Upstate of South Carolina that are in foster care. Young people in foster care especially need nurturing adults on their side because their own families are in crisis and unable to care for them.
Each May, we salute the compassionate people who make a difference by serving as foster parents, relative caregivers, mentors, advocates, social workers, and volunteers. Thanks to these unsung heroes, many formerly abused or neglected children and teens will either safely reunite with their parents, be cared for by relatives, or be adopted by loving families.
But some children in foster care are less fortunate. Communities across the Upstate are urgently seeking more everyday people to help these youth overcome their troubled childhoods and realize their full potential. No matter what their age, every young person in foster care benefits from a meaningful connection to a caring adult who becomes a supportive and lasting presence in his or her life.
The number and diversity of people who were once in foster care might surprise you. In fact, there are an estimated 12 million foster care alumni in the U.S. representing all walks of life. Behind this startling statistic are countless stories of children who grew up to be thriving adults while others struggled with life’s challenges all alone. The difference between triumph and tragedy is very clear. Success stories come about when someone takes the time to offer comfort, provide support, give advice, or simply share a milestone moment with a youngster enduring a difficult family situation.
As part of the Foster Care Month celebration, Miracle Hill Ministries extends an invitation to you to join us in celebrating the promise of South Carolina’s children and youth in foster care. Celebrate by considering how you can get involved in touching the lives of foster children and youth to positively impact future generations.
The Top 5 things you can do for children in foster care are:
5. PRAY – Children in care, their birth families, resource foster families, and the staff that support them all need your prayers.
4. Provide Respite – Contact Miracle Hill to learn how to become a respite provider, to offer a break to the resource foster family.
3. Support a Foster Care Ministry – Volunteer, become a business partner, or financially support the Miracle Hill Resource Foster Care program. Collect donations of items typically needed by resource foster families.
2. Become an Advocate – Become a voice for children in foster care by partnering with Miracle Hill to establish or strengthen an orphan ministry in your church. Mentor a child in foster care.
1. Open Your Home – Contact Miracle Hill to become a resource foster parent.
No matter how much time you have to give, you have the power to do something positive that will “Change a Lifetime” for a young person in foster care. For more information on how you can help, please call Sharon Betts at 864-878-9987 today.
