Top 10 Ways to Celebrate National Foster Care Month This May

Sleep Country USA and Northwest Foster Care Organizations Inspire Community to Get Involved

For Immediate Release
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Seattle – May 7, 2012 – May is National Foster Care Month and with nearly 20,000 foster children in the Northwest, and more than 10,000 Northwest children entering foster care each year, Sleep Country USA and its 18 foster care partner organizations are sharing the Top 10 Ways You Can Support National Foster Care Month:

  1. Wear a blue ribbon – The Blue Ribbon Campaign is presented by the National Foster Parent Association to call attention to the urgent needs of youth in foster care.
  2. Donate to a foster child – Sleep Country USA hosts charity drives all year long to collect necessities for foster children. Donate today to the company’s Shoe Drive or find a future drive here
  3. Spread the word – Feature the National Foster Care Month logo and website link on your personal and/or organizational websites.
  4. Volunteer with a local organization – Northwest foster care organizations rely on volunteers for many programs. Find a list of Northwest foster orgs with contact information here
  5. Mentor a foster child – Foster children are twice as likely to repeat a school grade. Research shows that youth with mentors earn higher grades and have improved relationships with friends and family.
  6. Join the Camellia Network – An organization helping foster youth who are aging out of the system and transitioning to adulthood. Learn more here.
  7. Support foster kids youth groups – Foster Club is a national network for young people in foster care. Find out how you can support groups in your community here.
  8. Host your own charity drive – Foster kids often enter foster care with only the clothes on their back. Help support local foster families by hosting your own collection drive for basic items like pajamas or coats at your office, home, or church.
  9. Attend foster-kid focused events -Olive Crest, a local foster care non-profit, is celebrating with a Foster Parent Appreciation Event on Saturday, May 19th at Bethany Community Church in Green Lake.
  10. Learn more about the needs foster children in your community –Treehouse for Kids is hosting an Open House on Thursday, May 10th where you can tour their facilities and learn how to support their efforts.

With your help, foster children can obtain critical life skills and important items that will make a big difference: school tutoring and funds for summer camp, basic everyday items like school supplies or a new pair of shoes, and those that make childhood so magical like gifts during the holidays.

National Foster Care Month reminds everyone that they can help foster children have a successful future. From Sleep Country USA, it’s the time to remember that while “not everyone can be a foster parent, anyone can help a foster child”.