Shereen Siewert | Wausau Pilot & Review
Foster care families provide love, structure and safety to children who are unable to live with their families or on their own, a crucially important need in every community.
In Wisconsin and beyond, there is a growing need for foster parents, people who can provide a safe and stable environment for a child and offering them an opportunity for change, happiness and growth.
May is National Foster Care Awareness Month, and to help inform and encourage potential foster parents the Transformational Leadership Team, supported by Marathon County Social Services, will hold a free event for families who want to learn more about this critical program.
During this event representatives from MCSS will be joined by Anu Family Services, Foundations Health & Wholeness, Lutheran Social Services and licensed foster parents who will be on-site to present information and answer questions about how fostering works and why it makes a positive impact on children and communities.
If you go:
- What: Foster Care Awareness Fair
- When: 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 6
- Where: Woodson YMCA gymnasium, 707 N. Third St., Wausau
- Cost: Free
The event will also feature a wide range of fun family activities including bounce houses, yard games, a passport game that can earn you a chance at winning gift baskets and more. There will be free books for children, a lollipop stand, and free giveaway bags to the first 100 guests who attend.
“With the growing and continuing need for foster care in our area, we felt inspired to help our community learn more about foster care,” said Stephanie Breitenfeldt, a member of the Transformational Leadership Team that created this event. “Our goal is to create awareness of the need for foster care and help inspire individuals in our area to consider becoming a foster parent. With May being National Foster Care Month, we thought this would be a great event to help advocate for foster care in the Marathon County area, plus provide a free event for families to enjoy.”
The event is being sponsored by Church Mutual Insurance, S.I; Crystal Finishing Systems; Linetec; Peoples State Bank; and UWSP.
