May is Foster Parent Appreciation Month, a time to honor and celebrate the 8,350 foster families across the state who have made it their life’s mission to care for Illinois’ most 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 tirelessly with families to make the positive changes necessary, from addiction services to counseling and housing assistance, to successfully reunite families with their children. Today, there are more than 20,000 children living in foster care in the state: 8,200 are living with foster families, 11,000 with relatives and 600 in group homes. 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. . Foster parents must be at least 21 years old and can be married, in a civil union, single, divorced or separated. They can work full- or part-time, go to school or be a stay-at-home parent; and rent or own their own home. To learn more about becoming a licensed foster parent, fill out the online interest form on the DCFS website: https://dcfs.illinois.gov.