Right now, in every community in Utah, there are families in crisis - whether it be substance use issues, domestic violence, abuse or neglect. And when there are issues like this in families - children get caught in that cycle and can experience abuse and neglect.
Those children are placed in foster care for their own safety while their families heal. And they need foster parents to be available for them.
In our Healthier Together segment, sponsored by Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah, we talked with Utah Foster Care CEO Mike Hamblin who says there is always a need for families to come forward who are willing to care for sibling groups.
He told us that many foster families want younger children, but in Utah, chances are high that those younger children will have older brothers and sisters. And it is really important to keep those kids together.
Potential foster parents have to go through training and a licensing process, and parents can be married or single. You can own or rent. You must be financially stable, a U.S. citizen or legal resident. And, LGBTQ individuals or married couples are welcome to apply as well.
There is a fun event returning in person this year. On June 18 and 19 the Chalk Art Festival will be happening at The Gateway. Close to 100 artists, all of them local, will create vibrant chalk murals up and down the streets.
While you enjoy the artistic creations, there will be foster parents and staff along the way to answer questions and provide information on how you can make a difference as a foster parent.
You can find more information at utahfostercare.org.
