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D.A. Blodgett- St. Johns shares how people can help kids in foster care

Posted at 9:32 AM, May 01, 2020
and last updated 2020-05-01 09:32:07-04

May is National Foster Care Awareness Month, and one of Michigan's most vulnerable populations is more vulnerable than ever before due to the COVID-19 outbreak: children in foster care.

Kellie Oom, Director of Child Welfare Services at D.A. Blodgett- St. John's, discusses how their organization is helping these children during a time of crisis, and how the community can help.

There are 810 kids in foster care in Kent County right now, unfortunately that number doesn’t drop to 0 when a crisis occurs.

So for those looking to lend a hand, here are some things people can do to help foster kids:

  • Amazon wishlist – send donations directly to our agency. Items on the wishlist go toward “Care bags” which are bags with basic personal possessions given to kids when entering foster care. The list also has many items that will help keep kids living on our residential campus busy during quarantine. Find a link to the wishlist on our website dabsj.org or Facebook page.
  • Make monetary donations at dabsj.org.
  • Become a foster parent- There are currently 810 kids in foster care in Kent County. Become a foster parent and attend their next orientation. May 11 at 6 p.m. will be the next Virtual Foster Parent Info Night, check Facebook or website to register and for more info.

To learn more, visit dabsj.org.