Picnics and appreciation banquets. Respite. Family fun activities. Foster closet shopping events. There are so many ways we try and show support for our foster families. Whether it’s a big banquet we spend months planning or it’s a simple thank you card, every gesture of support counts!
The need to lift up and appreciate our families is at an all-time high, with the pandemic and so many other challenges in the world right now. Yet, many of our usual ways of supporting families have disappeared, seemingly overnight.
Many recruiters and recruitment teams have taken this opportunity to think outside the box. Here are just a few of the things we’re hearing around the state with regard to supporting foster families:
- Direct deliveries of essential items like diapers and food
- Gift cards to area businesses
- Shout outs on social media of specific families
- Fun competitions through email, such as scavenger hunts, with prizes donated by local businesses
- COVID-type care packages that include card games, movies, outdoor family games, arts & crafts, and ingredients for snacks like S’Mores
- Pop-up movie experiences
- Providing connection opportunities through online groups
If your recruitment team is finding support and appreciation a real head-scratcher, your families are sure to have ideas on what would help them get through these challenging times. It may require some work-arounds if agency policies present barriers. In the end, anything you can do to creatively carry your families through these hard times will ultimately mean retaining quality families as well as wonderful word-of-mouth recruitment for your foster care needs.
