While being a foster parent is one of the most fulfilling and effective ways to help youth in the community, it can be a difficult job to maintain without a strong community support system. Nationally, only about 50% of foster homes continue to provide care for youth after the first year. Because of this shortage of foster homes, sometimes youth in foster care have to move placements every 24 hours, sleep in agency offices or be placed in group homes – situations that can lead to increased trauma and various other health concerns.

Fostering Joy is a faith-based organization that equips churches to provide foster parents with full-scale wraparound support. This includes recruiting and training volunteers and donors who provide each family with mentors, food, financial support and much more. This model has already proven to be very successful, as 95% of families continue to foster after one year with Fostering Joy’s support.

In this video, Justin and Sarah Oberndorfer explain what this care community looks like and how it helps foster parents thrive!

More about Fostering Joy

Fostering Joy is an independent faith-based non-profit that leads the foster care initiative through developing strong relationships with state child welfare offices and private agencies, and most importantly, equipping churches with a simple and sustainable vehicle to engage the foster care crisis. Click here to learn how to get your church involved.