Foster Parents Change Children’s Lives

It was the middle of the night. Jessie and her baby brother needed a safe place to stay. CEDARS (cedarskids.org) answered the call. The children were scared and hungry, but thanks to the CEDARS network of loving foster families, they were welcomed into a warm home, fed, put into clean pajamas, and rocked to sleep.

Unfortunately, not every child in need has this experience. An alarming number of children won’t get to sleep in a safe and loving home tonight because there aren’t enough foster parents in Nebraska.

“In just one month,” says CEDARS President Jim Blue, “we had to turn away 133 kids because we didn’t have foster homes for them. That should not be the way it is. I know that there are good people in this community who are willing to open their hearts and homes to children in need. They just need to take that first step and give us a call.”

Kids come into foster care for a variety of reasons. Ultimately, CEDARS goal is to either safely reunite children with their families or find a permanent home for them. Until these goals can be achieved, foster families give kids stability and room to grow as individuals. During this critical time, foster families are able to have a lasting impact on the lives of kids in need of hope for their future.

CEDARS staff walk alongside children and families every step of the way. With encouragement, guidance, and direction, the team has the honor of watching lives change.

With offices in Lincoln and Bellevue, Nebraska-based CEDARS has been serving children and families for over 70 years. The CEDARS Foster Care team works every day to ensure that hundreds of foster children and youth flourish in loving families. Because foster parents are an integral part of the CEDARS professional team, CEDARS equips them with exceptional training, provides access to support 24/7, and hosts monthly support groups and quarterly gatherings for foster families.

It is important to know that there is no typical CEDARS foster family. CEDARS foster families include parents with children at home, single adults, couples hoping to adopt and empty nesters. To help, all you need is a stable home, an open heart, and a willingness to reach out to a child in need.

If you have ever considered fostering and would like more information, please contact Caitlin Summerlin at (402) 810-1399 or csummerlin@cedarskids.org.