In 2020, 407,493 children in the United States were living in foster care.

In 2020, 75,574 children in the United States exited the foster care system .

The dilemma is clear

There are too many children and too few homes. As a result, foster parents across the nation are asked to take on more than they can handle. This leads to multiple children being packed into a single home, oftentimes not getting the individual attention they need to thrive. To complicate things further, it is estimated that nearly eighty percent of these children suffer from a significant mental health issue. These issues can stem from endured abuse, neglect, or trauma that the general populace does not experience in their own childhoods

Foster care can be brutal for the child involved. It is not uncommon for a child to move between multiple foster homes, due in part to their disabilities, which families are rarely prepared for. The child lacks structure, positive role models, and general health and hygiene concerns are prevalent. Many times the child appears as if they were raised with no parents involved at all, which is often the case. The child does not know any different and may receive much of the blame for not being “adoptable” or “placeable” in a foster home. Eventually, the child will be placed into a group home. The group home is a last resort for the child where only the essential needs will be met. As a result, this child will go on to live a less fulfilling and meaningful life because of a situation that was always beyond their control.

What we are asking you to do is to look back on your childhood. When you had hard times, painful memories, or broken bones. Was there someone there to comfort you? Who was your shoulder to cry on? Who lifted you up? For us, it was always family. Loving parents, loyal siblings, even good friends. These things are all home.

We are not asking you to imagine life without your family, your friends, and your memories. Nobody should have to imagine that. Better yet, nobody should have to live it. This is why we are making it our mission to give a voice to the children of today who deserve to have a childhood of their own. Our promise is to take action by educating ourselves, seeking out those who need help, and going to them. And we want you to join us.

Educate

Over the next few months we will put out articles with sources and information given by experts in the field. Our goal here is to help each other understand the situations these children face so that we can go out and spread the message. All you have to do is visit our site, check out the information, and decide how you will act.

Seek

Armed with new knowledge, we can only hope it comes with a desire to act. Along with our articles, you will find opportunities to make a difference through volunteer programs or other charities that support the best causes. If just speaking out or “keeping the conversation going” isn’t enough for you, you’ve come to the right place. Actions will always speak louder than words.

Serve

This is your chance. Don’t just say the children need help; go and help them. You don’t need to be a foster parent, but you can be a friend and mentor. You can make a difference that could change the course of a child’s life. To start, let’s talk about this program.

The Court Appointed Special Advocates Guardians ad Litem (CASAGAL) Program gives you and I the opportunity to act as advocates ‘for a child’s best interest in court’. Volunteers are given the responsibility to be a voice for a child, to understand the child, and to be a fair, empathetic speaker for what that child needs. You will learn about the child, visit with them regularly, and often represent them in court.

With 93,000 volunteers currently serving 271,000 children annually, it seems to us that there is always room for more help.

So, what will you do? We suggest you visit their website, sign up, and begin to serve. Together we can help children to stop imagining the good life, and start living it. That is what it means to be a voice For The Hidden.