Foster VC Kids reminds interested community members there are many ways to help the 800 local foster youth. The need is now. Becoming a resource parent means helping a child or teen by fostering, mentoring or providing permanency.
There are more than 800 Ventura County children in foster care, from newborns to teens, who need nurturing resource families to help them thrive while separated from their families of origin. These youth come to Foster VC Kids when they have been exposed to neglect, domestic violence, parental illness such as mental health or drug/alcohol abuse that impacts the child’s safety. Through no fault of their own, children and youth are then separated from their birth families, including siblings, and brought into foster care. Learn more at www.fostervckids.org.
“Even though foster care is temporary, caregivers (resource parents) play a critical role in helping to heal a child’s trauma,” said Judy Webber, Deputy Director, Department of Children & Family Services, Ventura County Human Services Agency. Webber added that “resource parents provide so much more than just a home, they help heal and strengthen families in our community through simple connections and understanding.”
Additional resource families are needed now in Ventura County, especially in the cities of Oxnard and Ventura. In a recent radio interview supporting Foster VC Kids and encouraging community members to take action, Supervisor Steve Bennett said, “If you saw a youth drowning in a pool, you would immediately jump in to help. Foster youth are in that same kind of urgent need… Please jump in to help.”
Resource parents – whether fostering, mentoring or providing permanency – have the full support of the Foster VC Kids team, including social workers. Extensive training and support services (including medical and dental care) are available to ensure caregivers have the tools to nurture, protect and care for local children and teens in need. Visit www.fostervckids.org/need to watch the informational video or call 805-654-3220 to learn more about helping a local youth today.
Foster VC Kids is a program of Ventura County’s Children and Family Services
Recognized as a best practices leader statewide in the family recruitment and support component of child welfare, Foster VC Kids provides resource families with ongoing support services, trauma-informed training, and mentorship to enhance the safety, permanency and well-being of Ventura County’s youth and families. Learn how Foster VC Kids is making a difference throughout Ventura County, www.fostervckids.org.
