San Rafael, CA – In Marin County, many children in the foster care system are being placed in homes far from their schools and family connections because there aren’t enough local families to take care of them. With an average of 80 children in the child welfare system and just 35 resource families in Marin, the need for safe and healthy homes has never been greater.
Resource families temporarily provide love, parental care, guidance, and stability to foster children.Foster families known as resource families, provide love, parental care, guidance, and stability to children until they can be returned to their parents or move to a permanent home through adoption or guardianship. Marin County Children and Family Services Division is urgently looking for local families to provide care for children ranging in age from newborns to 17 years old who have been separated from their families through no fault of their own. Because of the specific needs of young people across different age groups, the County is seeking a diverse array of people willing to open their homes, especially for older children and teenagers.
“We need adults of all ages, races, backgrounds, and circumstances -- you could be a person with no children, young children, or an empty-nester,” said Bree Marchman, Division Director of Marin County Children and Family Services. “You may be single, part of a couple, married or not, male or female, and of any sexual orientation. You may rent or own your home. What matters is that you have the willingness to nurture a young person in need.”
This May, as National Foster Care Month begins, it’s a great time to remind everyone in Marin how they can get involved to help some of the most vulnerable children in the Marin community.
The first step to foster a child is to attend an online resource/foster parent orientation. Orientations are held monthly with a social worker and an experienced resource parent. The next online orientation is May 3 at 7 p.m.
Marin County Resource Family Orientations
- What: Join a social worker and a resource parent to discuss the application, training, support available, and to answer questions.
- Who: All adults living in Marin County
- When: Orientations are held monthly. The next two are May 3 and June 6, 7-8:30 p.m.
- Where: Online, register at FosterOurFutureMarin.org
- Why? Incredible opportunity to give back to the community and truly change a child’s life.
While not everyone is able to foster a child, anyone can help Marin County children in foster care. Visit www.FosterOurFutureMarin.org to learn about volunteering, donations, and more ways to support the foster care community in Marin.