Every day, the office of state child welfare receives calls reporting potential child abuse or neglect. If warranted, the child is removed from the potential danger until a thorough investigation can be completed.

The state contacts agencies like ours, looking for a local family whose preferences match the child’s age, gender, race and other factors. If a match isn’t found, the child will be placed in a residential facility or shelter until a matching family becomes available.

There are always far more children coming into foster care than available families. And many foster families won’t accept a child who doesn’t match their preferences. If there are no available homes or facilities locally, the child is sent away from their familiar surroundings where families are available.

Fostering is about helping a child, who through no fault of their own, needs a safe, temporary home while receiving love and understanding. This requires a family determined to do what it takes to help a child. Which might include fostering a child who doesn’t exactly match their preferences, or taking a sibling group so they can stay together, or taking a teen that nobody else wants.

Learn more by attending a live, information webinar.

Foster care is not about increasing the size of a family, or even doing a good deed. It’s about helping a child desperately needing love and direction.

Most of our foster families come to Arrow because a family member or friend referred them. If you know someone you think should consider fostering, please share this flyer with them.