7 Effective Ways to Support Youth in Foster Care
May is Foster Care Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness of the thousands of children and youth living in foster care and to take action.
In the United States, approximately 370,000 children and teens are in foster care, with over 5,000 in Virginia alone. Supporting youth in foster care extends beyond simply providing a home; it also includes engaging with the broader community to offer emotional and practical support.
Whether you’re a former foster parent, a business owner, or someone who cares, you can help. Let’s shift the narrative: foster care isn’t just a system—it’s a network of people willing to show up.
Here are 7 meaningful ways to support youth in foster care:
1. Volunteer with Organizations that Celebrate Youth
Many children in foster care often miss important life milestones such as birthdays and graduations. Organizations like Worthdays in Central Virginia strive to change this by ensuring every child feels celebrated. Volunteers can contribute by:
Volunteer opportunities include:
- Packing birthday boxes and graduation gifts
- Hosting special events for teens
- Donating your time or skills (event planning, decorating, etc.)
Find a local nonprofit that supports foster youth in your region.
2. Advocate for Change in Your Community
You don’t have to be in politics to make political change. Foster youth benefit when citizens speak up for policies that support them, including kinship care, aging-out supports, and trauma-informed education. Did you know that until last year, youth in foster care had to pay room and board even if they received grants for education? Here are the 2025 legislative session bills that benefit youth and families involved in foster care, and where they are currently.
How to get started:
- Support groups like Voices for Virginia’s Children, a leader in child advocacy
- Reach out to your state legislators about increased funding for foster care programs
- Attend community forums or advocacy days (many are virtual!)
When you raise your voice, you help raise the standard.
3. Donate to Organizations Making a Direct Impact
Financial support plays a crucial role in transforming the lives of vulnerable populations, especially programs aimed at aiding teenagers transitioning out of the foster care system, families striving for reunification, and those engaged in kinship care arrangements. Numerous nonprofit organizations throughout the state are devoted to this vital cause, each with a unique mission encompassing a broad spectrum of services tailored to support youth in foster care. These services often include mentorship programs, educational support, counseling, and essential life skills training designed to empower these young individuals as they navigate their challenging circumstances and build their futures. Through these contributions, we can enhance the resources available to these organizations, ultimately fostering a more supportive environment for these youth and their families.
Consider donating to:
- Impact Living Services – (VA), which serves youth throughout the state of Virginia with housing funds, car funds, and gift/holiday funds.
- UpsideDown Moments: ( Loudon County)
This nonprofit provides charitable services, resources, and programs for children in foster care, at-risk youth, and former fosters in Loudoun County, Virginia. - Connect With a Wish: (VA Beach)
This nonprofit, based in Virginia Beach, offers resources and support to youth and young adults in foster care in Hampton Roads. - Fostering Champions: Rocky Mount, VA
This organization focuses on bridging the gap between foster care and independent living, providing support for teens as they age out of the system. - Worthdays: Richmond and surrounding areas
This Richmond-based nonprofit ensures those impacted by foster care are seen as important and worthy. - Together We Can Foundation: Hampton Roads and Southeastern, VA
This organization focuses on helping young adults successfully transition from foster care to independent living. - Voices for Virginia’s Children: VA
This advocacy organization focuses on improving policies related to foster care and other child welfare issues. - Formed Families Forward:
This family-led nonprofit supports foster, kinship, and adoptive families of children and youth with disabilities.
Even a small donation can provide a bus pass, graduation cap, or gas for a car.
4. Help Educate Others About Foster Care
Many people still don’t understand how foster care works or who it serves. However, raising awareness can change everything. It helps reduce stigma, increases support, and opens doors. A child in foster care might be the quiet student in the classroom who loves music, the athlete who practices tirelessly, or someone who attends church every Sunday. Virginia children enter foster care not because of anything they have done; instead, it happens when a family is struggling and needs assistance. This might be due to issues such as abuse, neglect, or substance abuse. Foster care can give the family the necessary time to focus on their challenges and work with support services to create a stable and safe home for the children to return to eventually.
Ways to educate others:
- Share accurate information from trusted sources like AdoptUSKids or Child Welfare Information Gateway
- Post success stories and facts on your social media
- Host a community info night at your job, gym, or church
5. Share Your Story
Your insights are invaluable if you have been a foster parent or gained experience within the foster care system. Whether your journey lasted just one month or spanned an entire decade, each story holds the power to inform, inspire, and motivate others facing similar situations.
Sharing your story allows others to learn from your experiences and cultivate a sense of unity and understanding in your community regarding the vital role of foster care. Let your narrative resonate and encourage others to get involved and make a difference through fostering or supporting those who do.
How to share:
- Speak at orientation events or panels
- Post a reflection on your blog or LinkedIn
- Talk one-on-one with someone who’s considering fostering
“I can’t foster now, but here’s why I still care” might be the push someone else needs.
6. Partner Through Faith and Business Communities
Churches, civic groups, and small businesses are powerful platforms for community change. Your organization could be the bridge that connects someone to a child who needs them.
Consider organizing movie nights that feature compelling films highlighting the importance of community involvement in the foster care system. A couple of excellent choices are Possum Trot, which beautifully depicts the journey of fostering and the emotional ties that develop, and Safety, a powerful story that showcases the struggles and triumphs faced by those with siblings and how far they can go with support.
Ideas:
- Host a movie night
- Sponsor birthday boxes or holiday support drives
- Partner with agencies like VA Kids Belong to become a “foster-friendly” business or faith community.
Whether you’re a small business or a church, your platform can become part of a support system.
7. Promote Foster Care Awareness and Recruitment
Foster care awareness is important year-round, not just in May. Recruiting families occurs throughout the entire year, so spreading the message about the need for foster families is crucial. Consistently promoting this message can greatly enhance visibility and understanding of foster care, even among those not currently fostering.
Try this:
- Share recruitment flyers online or in your workplace
- Invite a foster care recruiter to speak at your club or team meeting
- Include a recruitment flyer or message in your business window or church bulletin
Impact Living Services can provide materials, guest speakers, and local data to help you get involved.
Every Role Matters
We often think changing a life requires a grand gesture—but sometimes, the handwritten note, the shared story, or the listening ear makes all the difference.
Let’s build a culture where foster youth don’t just survive—they thrive. Where communities show up for them, cheer for them, and believe in them.
Share this post, tag a friend, and use your platform—however big or small—to support foster youth this month. #fostercareawareness #impactfostercare