The Impact of 96,929 Volunteers on the Foster Care System

May is National Foster Care Awareness month, and with over 423,000 kids in foster care, you may wonder, can one person make a difference in the life of a foster youth? Is there anyone advocating for them? Is their best interest taken into account? How are their voices heard? Who is speaking on their behalf? With many children removed from …

Internet Safety | The Unknown Dangers

In 2019, the CyberTipline received over 16.9 million reports of online exploitation of children. It’s hard to comprehend these figures. Yet with new games, apps, and websites readily available in a single click, many youth face dangers downloading, uploading, sharing, and connecting on the Internet. These apps and games may appear harmless on the surface, but do you know the …

How Can You Say “Yes”?

*This post is by guest blogger Annie Evelsizer.  This story is inspired by true events and real people.   As a respite care provider in the foster care system, she agreed to care for a bubbly and busy 11-month-old boy over a long weekend so his foster parents could take a family vacation. With three elementary aged biological children of …

Resource Roundup

The times may be uncertain, but we can be certain that there are still needs, and everyone is uniquely positioned to make a difference. “The work of today is the history of tomorrow, and we are its makers” – Juliette Gordon Low, founder of Girl Scouts of the USA Check out these resources to learn how you can be activated …

How Do I Get Started?

Throughout Human Trafficking Awareness month in January, you likely saw social media posts, news articles, billboards, and more that highlighted the reality of this crime, both here in the U.S. and abroad. This information may have been new to you, or you may have heard about it before, but you are now asking yourself, “How do I become involved in …

In the Headlines

Take a moment to see what is happening in the news, nationally and internationally, to address human trafficking and the connected vulnerabilities.   Take down of the largest darknet child pornography website | Earlier this month, U.S. and international agencies arrested and charged 337 users of the website that used Bitcoin to purchase videos. The operation resulted in the seizure …

National Adoption Month

As of October of 2017, there were over 117,000 children in foster care waiting to be adopted and only 4,714 intercountry adoptions to the U.S. People may not know what they have to offer when it comes to adoption, but there is something EVERYONE can do.  November is National Adoption Month, and a time when community members, professionals, parents, and …

Knowledge is Power – Fall 2018

The fall can symbolize many aspects of life — the time for a new season, going back to school, or a time to harvest. As you reflect and think about what fall means to you, we have compiled some resources for your review. Take a moment to see how they may apply to what you already know or how you …

Compassion Fatigue for Normal People

compassion fatigue definition

Compassion Fatigue You may have heard the term, but have you thought about how it impacts your daily life? Compassion fatigue used to be something that was only discussed in reference to therapists, caregivers, and aid workers. Now, it’s something that all of us are subject to. Compassion fatigue is the result of the constant exposure to the hurt and …