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Local Foster Children Are Looking for HEROS

by Children's Home of Reading

May 06, 2021

Over 440,000 children from across the United States are looking for a hero to help them find the safety and security of a family each year.

Between 550-600 children enter the Berks County Children and Youth Services every year.  “That is a large number of families to find,” said Jill Troutman, the VP of advancement, marketing, and communications for The Children’s Home of Reading.

Foster care families are our everyday heroes.

“Children need families they can rely on.  Foster families are everyday heroes, and COVID has hit the foster care system hard,” said Troutman, “Foster family dynamics changed just like everyone else’s,  some of our families lost their jobs, or worked outside of the home and didn’t have anyone to stay with the children while they attended school virtually, so they took themselves out of availability.”

Children thrive best in a family setting.

The Children’s Home of Reading served over 324 children through their foster and adoptive programs during fiscal year 19/20. Sometimes all a child needs is somebody to rely on. Studies have found that children with a permanent connection with an adult in their lives tend to do well in all aspects of their lives. Our foster care and adoption services is built on the framework of providing support to both children and families to decide the best outcome for the identified children in care.

“Since COVID we had to refuse over 90% of our referrals due to unavailability of families,” Troutman said, “We need homes for older youth, sibling groups and school age children and hope to change that on Saturday, May 22 during our “Be A Hero”-Movie Night, when gates open at 5:30pm to the public.”

Dr. Vincent LaSorsa, President and CEO, of The Children’s Home of Reading, said they were doing everything possible to adhere to the COVID-19 guidelines to ensure everyone’s safety.  The free event will be held outside with multiple sanitation stations, and all attendees, the staff, Superhero’s, and volunteers will be required to wear facemasks with capes remaining optional!

“We will have some of our own foster family hero’s in attendance, and welcome everyone to RSVP early as seats are limited, ask questions about foster care and have some fun watching “Shazam” on the jumbotron,” said Vincent LaSorsa, the CEO of The Children’s Home of Reading.

“The Children’s Home of Reading had it’s beginning as an orphanage and was started by the town of Reading, over 135 years ago, and here we today because and for the communities we serve” LaSorsa said.  “Our goal for this family friendly event is to have fun, celebrate children and have the community help us raise the awareness of the desperate need for foster families.”

Who can be a foster parent?

Foster families can be anyone who is over 21, who can pass the background check, take the training, be able to pay their bills and provide a loving, supportive home to a child in crisis. “We have all types of families, single, married, LGBT, retired, homeowners, renters; we are inclusive and celebrate diversity at The Children’s Home of Reading.”

The public is requested to RSVP for this free family friendly event on Saturday, May 22nd at the Fightin’s Stadium, complete with door prizes, Superhero photo opportunities and fun when the gates open at 5:30pm.  COVID Guidelines do apply and people are asked to RSVP for the event prior to May 22 at www.buildingkidslives.org/superhero, due to the social distancing restrictions in the stands.

“We’d love for everyone throughout Berks county to be having conversation during National Foster Care Month, about foster care and adoption with their coworkers, neighbors, friends and family members,” said Troutman, “Think of it as a casting call on May 22, we invite everyone to have fun and “Be a Hero” for the kids!”

Every child deserves a home.

To learn more about fostering or adoption contact Karen at 610-478-8266 ext. 435 or visit www.buildingkidslives.org/foster-care.

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