This week, foster care advocates, alumni, families, and supporters gathered for Foster Care Awareness Day at the Capitol on Wednesday, Feb. 18. Organized by Idaho Voices for Children, the event brought people from across the state to share perspectives with lawmakers and raise awareness about foster care in Idaho.
Foster Care Awareness Day offers an opportunity for community members to educate legislators and leaders about the challenges and opportunities facing children and families involved in foster care. Attendees shared personal experiences, highlighted needs for additional supports, and underscored the ongoing importance of safe, stable foster homes statewide.
Events like this help ensure that decisions made at the Statehouse reflect the real-life experiences of children, youth, and caregivers. They provide a chance for advocates to engage directly with policymakers, for neighbors to show support for foster families, and for voices that are often under-represented to be heard.
The event was kicked off when Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke read the Foster Care Awareness Day Proclamation, highlighting that, “it is imperative to bring together Idahoans impacted by foster care, community advocates and partners, and Idaho’s elected officials and agencies to identify priorities moving forward.”
Subsequent presenters emphasized the importance of trauma-informed practices, the need to focus on prevention, and the impact a community rallying to support children and families can have. Representatives from DHW spoke about the need to recruit foster parents and collaborative efforts with other agencies and organizations throughout Idaho to support foster children and families, including the new Community Builders initiative.
For more information about future foster care awareness efforts and how you can stay engaged, visit the event page at idahovoices.org.
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov.
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