Currently, there are nearly 3,024 children in the Montana foster care system, and that number increases each year. With the numbers steadily rising, we find ourselves holding a lot of uncertainty surrounding where those kids can go. There aren’t nearly enough foster homes to keep up with this high of need.
Each week, Youth Dynamics receives between ten and twenty referrals for kids needing homes, but we are unable to place them. This leads to them staying in shelters, spending the night in offices, and being placed in group homes. Many of these children will have to move across the state, leaving everything they know in search of a place to call home.
Opening your heart and home to a child in need is one of the biggest ways you can make a difference. Becoming a foster parent could give a child the positive support they need to flourish. Truthfully, one person can make a huge impact on a foster child’s life.
“You might be temporary in their lives. They might be temporary in yours. But there is nothing temporary about the love or the lesson.” – Tonia Christle
Right now, Youth Dynamics is currently looking for people who can help us battle the issue of not having enough homes. We want people who are able to provide long-term, and sometimes permanent homes for these children; but also those who are willing to provide emergency short-term placements when needed.
How do you start the process of becoming a foster parent?
To get started, contact us today through our website. Once we connect you to your local Family Development Coordinator, it takes between two and four months to get licensed. This includes training and the home study process- a time to get to know you so that we can best match a child to your home.
About the Author
Meet Family Development Coordinator, Kennedy Gavaghan. Kennedy has a Bachelor of Public Health and a passion for helping vulnerable kids in need!
She began her career at YDI in February of 2020 and is eager to support foster families in the Bozeman, Butte, and Livingston areas. If you’re looking to learn more about foster care or are ready to open your home to a child in need, she’s the lady for the job!
Call Kennedy’s direct line at 406-548-6606, or message us over Facebook to get connected today!
