Freedom First Credit Union’s Post

My 95-year-old mother always says, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Let's talk about a proactive approach to combating homelessness. We only have to look outside our doors to realize we have a homelessness problem. One that costs us ... to house one person in a shelter bed is $ 1932.00; in a provincial jail, $4333.00; in a hospital bed, $10,900.00. So, how can we proactively approach the social problem of homelessness? Did you know that there is a correlation between homelessness and children being raised in the foster care system? Did you know that New Brunswick has approximately 1000 children in foster care, with over 500 adoptable children? Did you know that 3 of my grandchildren are now part of this statistic? This month has been challenging for my family, to say the least. I now have 3 grandchildren in 2 different homes. But we are ONE family. And I am fighting hard to get my grandbabies back home with their family. But this is a social problem that will require a social solution one that I call HOME, our mission is to keep siblings together and out of the foster care system. This time it's personal and I am asking you to join me in this war against generational poverty at the home front. Together, we can be the change we want to see, by creating systemic change and disrupting the cycle of homelessness by providing a safe, stable home environment for our future generation -- our children. Systems are not meant to raise children, families are. Over the next 6 months, the government will pay a minimum of $20,000 to keep my 3 grandchildren in foster care. WHAT? This is unjust. This money could be invested in our kinship care model of child rearing by keeping the children with family. The time for change is NOW! I am looking to raise $5000.00/month to establish HOME. If you want to stand with me to support families at the home front, then e-transfer funds to donations.crownsnb@outlook.com or contribute to our Gofundme page - https://gofund.me/27e50076 Thank you #bethechange #familyfirst #onamission #home

Today the Government has published the first ever National Kinship Care Strategy for England. 💛 This is a landmark moment for #KinshipCarers who are raising the child of a family member or friend. It provides significant recognition of the monumental role kinship carers play in transforming the experiences of hundreds of thousands of children. ✨ Key commitments from the National Kinship Care Strategy include: 🟢 Trialling financial allowances for kinship carers in eight local authorities. 🟣 Guidance for employers to support employees who are kinship carers. 🔵 Initial steps to improve support for children in kinship care - including expanding the remit of the Virtual School Head and promoting the renamed Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund. These commitments bring us a step closer to achieving our #ValueOurLove campaign calls to equalise support between kinship families and foster and adoptive families but the commitments and investments made still fall short of delivering the urgent transformation that all kinship families need now. Despite its limitations, the Strategy is an enormous achievement and testament to every kinship carer who has fought for change. 💪 Read more about how the National Kinship Care Strategy will affect kinship families: https://loom.ly/3yu5s5c

September is National Kinship Care Month! When parents are unable to care for their children, whether temporarily or long-term, children are best served by staying within their extended families. National Kinship Care Month recognizes the unconditional love, support, and sacrifices of those caring for a loved one’s children. These kinship caregivers include young adults who postpone going to college to support and care for younger siblings and keep them out of foster care. They are retired grandparents who return to work to provide for their grandchildren. They are close family friends who make room for one more to ensure a child stays connected to their family, community, and culture. They are the kids who willingly share their space with their cousins whose parents are struggling. (source: Coalition for Children, Youth & Families; link: https://lnkd.in/g5CHw7Nr) According to the National CASA/GAL Association for Children 2021 Annual Local Program Survey Report, of the 140,736 children and youth served by CASA/GAL programs documented as being in out-of-home placements during 2021, 28 percent of the children were placed with relatives.  

In our 2023 year end report, we highlight powerful stories of the kids and families we've served, share statistics about the current state of child welfare, and lean into hope as we find solutions to tough problems together. What if vulnerable children and families had somewhere else to turn besides an overburdened system? What if instead of being a case number, they were people with names and faces - where someone knew them, their story, and their needs? What if the gaps could be closed between what the system provides and what they need to thrive? This is the power of Community Beyond the System. At Foster Village, we surround every type of family experiencing foster care - foster parents, kinship families, reunifying families, and former foster youth - with a village of support that dismantles isolation and empowers families to break generational cycles for years to come. Read more about how we do this in our YEAR END REPORT. https://lnkd.in/gEJH3-9H

Can any of us really foster? A contentious question, but in reality, has a very simple answer. In this weeks blog post we summarise why we think more careful consideration should be taken before assessing a potential foster carer. Read more here 👇 https://lnkd.in/ejA5ziJ4 #fostercare #anyofus #parenting

Since 2000, we've been on a journey dedicated to a single, powerful vision: A Family For Every Child in Our Lifetime. Across the globe, 5.4 million children live in orphanages, and 80% of them have parents who can care for them with the proper support. And that's where we step in. Right here in the US, there are nearly 400,000 children in the Foster Care System–all of them dreaming of a family. On average, these children are moved seven times after they are removed from their families. This instability can have a detrimental effect on their well-being. Help reunite children with families and prevent unnecessary separations, and join us in leading the charge in stabilizing families within the foster system. Help make our vision a reality—one child at a time. Explore the many ways you can get involved today! 💙 Learn more about our work: https://lnkd.in/gpsXU-yU Change a life today: https://lnkd.in/gQUXwbiz #MiracleFoundation #Afamilyforeverychild

“From 2017 to 2023, the number of children in kinship care (where grandparents or kin raise children) rose from 30,000 to 36,000, an increase of 20 percent. This is likely an undercount, however, since many families rely on informal arrangements.” The LANL Foundation’s new report, “Resilient Families: Helping Grandparents and Kin Raise Children in New Mexico,” details the growth and specific needs of kinship families in New Mexico and provides recommendations for how these families can be better supported, such as appropriating funds to provide monthly stipends to grandparents and kin that are primary caregivers, and for legal assistance to these families. 🔗https://bit.ly/3Heh4NH

https://lnkd.in/e24PrYSn ‘As a foster carer, and like many others, I placed my trust in this once-in-a-lifetime review, just as I did with the previous one. Now, that trust is shattered. No more reviews, no more promises—only real, immediate action can restore trust and truly make a difference #FosterCareAwareness #ActionOverReviews #TrustThroughAction #FosterCareReform #NoMorePromises

Joseph felt like he belonged, cruising on his bike with the other kids in the neighborhood without a care in the world. Bicycles (and helmets and locks!) are one of the many things Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation funds for children and youth in foster care. For more than 40 years, we've been changing their stories, simply by helping them experience moments of joy. Learn more about our important work at affcf.org. #changethestory #transformalife #40yearsofchangingthestory #affcf40thanniversary #bicycles #childhoodactivities #keystosuccess #postsecondaryprograms #AFFCF #azffcf #youwinkidswin

This is the reality foster youth face. There are over 400,000 children currently experiencing the foster care system. Today over 1,000 children will enter the system. ⁠ ⁠ These children are our collective responsibility to keep safe and care for. Take action and change lives today: https://lnkd.in/gNDascdX #FosterLove #FosterCare #Nonprofit