Foster parenting has many benefits for you and children in need. The need for foster parents has never been greater: 213,964 children under 18 in 2020 entered foster care in the United States, totaling a rate of 3 children per 1,000, according to AECF. Catholic Charities Community Services is helping Arizona foster children in need or at risk every day.
The Need is Growing
The percentage of children in state foster care has grown in the last decade. This is a positive move, as it means families are becoming less apprehensive about asking for help when their situations are difficult to handle. It also presents new and severe challenges to Catholic Charities and other help organizations, as fostering families have not increased at the same rate. Foster care will put you in a position where your skills are needed now, and you can help with the growing national need to house children.
Helping Families in Need
Most foster children are in foster care for a short time. While fostering was once seen as a trial run for adoption, most foster children are only in the foster care system while their families address temporary issues. Because of this, foster families need to be sensitive to the needs of a child who may only be with them for a short time.
Foster Parenting is a Way for Older Adults to Parent
If you are an older adult with the need and ability to share your home with a child in need, fostering can be a great way to connect with children and share your wisdom and experience. Most families who need foster care can benefit from the stability that an older adult family with two incomes and no dependents can provide for them. When older adults foster, it’s a win-win.
Arizona Foster Care Charitable Tax Credit
The financial benefits of fostering are essential to discuss, even if they may feel wrong in a family-oriented setting. Additionally, fosters who are cared for long enough in each tax year to be considered a Qualifying Child will make you eligible for dependent tax deductions with the IRS.
Parents and children benefit from foster care, and you might be in the best position to help. Contact Catholic Charities Community Services at 1-855-316-2229 today to see if fostering is right for your family.
