Parenting Educators often say it takes a village to raise a child. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and we want to let our families know there are so many different ways to help the children in our community. As of February, there were 331 children in out-of-home and foster care in Sarasota County, according to the Family Safety Alliance. More than half of these children are between the ages of birth and 5.  Sarasota and Manatee Counties are in need of foster homes and support.

You may not be in a place to take a child into your home, but you may be able to do other things to support these children in need:

• Donate items to community agencies helping those children in foster care.  The Safe Children Coalition (under the leadership of the Sarasota YMCA) provides child welfare services for dependent children who have been abused, neglected or abandoned.   https://www.sarasotaymca.org/safechildrencoalition/
• Find out if anyone you know is a foster parent and then find out what you can do to support them.  Anything from running to the grocery store or sending over dinner would be appreciated as they take care of the child in their home.  
• Attend an info meeting to learn about becoming a foster parent.  https://www.facebook.com/safechildrencoalition/
• Continue to spread the word and advocate for “Great Childhoods”