May is Foster Parent Appreciation Month, a time to honor and celebrate the thousands of foster families across the state who have opened their hearts and homes to provide a temporary safe haven to vulnerable children and encourage more Illinoisans to join them by becoming licensed foster families. Children are placed in the temporary care of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) by local courts when it is determined that their families cannot safely care for them. DCFS works with the family to make the positive changes necessary to reunite with their children while foster families step up and provide homes where the children are protected, nurtured and loved. Today, there are just under 21,000 children living in foster care in the state: 8,600 are living with foster families, 11,300 with relatives and 600 in group homes and institutions.

DCFS and a network of private agency partners offer a range of supports to foster families, including a monthly stipend for the child’s basic needs, such as food, clothing and housing costs; a medical card; therapeutic, educational, recreational and crisis support services; and access to caseworkers, training programs and support groups to meet the child’s and family’s needs. To learn more about becoming a licensed foster parent, fill out the online interest form on the DCFS website: https://www2.illinois.gov/dcfs. Click on Loving Homes, then click on Become a Foster or Adoptive Parent. Organizations wishing to schedule a presentation to learn about waiting children, how to become licensed and the adoption process may call 312-814-6800.