Adoption Resources of Wisconsin, a great organization that supports foster care as well as adoption, has launched a big campaign in an effort to urge more people to become foster parents.
The campaign, called "Turn a Life Around," included dozens of billboards around the state that were upside down, flash mobs in Milwaukee and elsewhere where people stood on their hands to bring attention to the need for foster parents, and much more.
Because my husband and I were foster parents and adopted our son Kobi out of foster care, I gladly participated in the effort by turning my Facebook profile photo upside down. After all, there are hundreds, maybe thousands, of children who are in great need of foster homes.
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ARW says they need to find 1,000 foster homes per year just to keep up with the demand in Wisconsin. With the ARW, the Children's Service Society of Wisconsin and other groups basically begging people to take these kids in, it seems to me that the system is failing not only the kids who need homes, but also couples who are - right now - willing to make children part of their families.
I belong to a foster/adoptive page on Facebook and it has been so disheartening reading comments the last few days from people who are so discouraged about not being able to bring children into their homes.
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One loving couple has been waiting for that phone call for more than four months for a placement in their home. They're licensed foster parents and ready to open up their home and their hearts....but they're getting nowhere.
There's another family whose caseworker quit and they don't know what is happening, either. I get it that the caseworkers are probably overworked, but shouldn't this be about the children in need? Come on people, these children need a loving home and so many people are waiting.
Imagine how many of these children cry themselves to sleep each night. When Mark and I first became licensed and were ready for children, we were getting the run-around as well. Fortunately for us, state Sen. Mary Lazich stepped in and helped speed up the process - and then things went smoothly. We will always be grateful to her for that help.
Mark and I were lucky. We had great caseworkers, and to this day, we still keep in touch with them. They care about Kobi and they enjoy watching him grow up.
We can only hope there are a few more caseworkers in the system just like we had. All I ask is that you remember one thing - the children!
