Mesa nonprofit founder: There’s no single way to make a difference
Posted
Kimberly Vehon
Submitted photo/Foster Arizona
You do not have to open your home to make a difference in foster care. But you can open your heart, your time or your circle of support. What could you bring to the table?”
Learn More
Arizonans interested in learning more about fostering can visit the Arizona Department of Child Safety at dcs.az.gov/foster.
OPINION — Foster families make an important commitment when they open their homes to children. What is sometimes less visible, but equally important, is the difference a caring community can make by standing alongside them.
A warm meal delivered at the right time. An extra pair of hands for an afternoon. A volunteer who helps make a child’s birthday feel special. A mentor who listens and encourages. These may seem like small gestures, but together they create something powerful: a sense of support, belonging and hope.
Not everyone will become a foster parent, and that is OK. Foster care needs people in many different roles. It needs the neighbor who checks in, the friend who offers childcare, the local business that donates essentials and the volunteer who shares a practical skill. It needs people who help create joyful experiences for children, encourage caregivers and remind young adults that their goals matter.
There is no single way to make a difference.
For children and youth who have experienced foster care, moments of connection can be especially meaningful. A fun community event, an invitation to join in, a trusted adult who remembers their interests, or someone who shows up consistently can help a child feel valued. These moments do not have to be elaborate. Often, what matters most is knowing that someone made room for them.
The same is true for foster, adoptive and kinship families. Parenting is made stronger when families are surrounded by people who care. Support might look like dinner after a busy week, a ride to an appointment, help with errands or simply a thoughtful question: “What would be helpful right now?” When people offer support without waiting to be asked, they help create a stronger foundation for the entire family.
In my work, I see how connection bring people together in meaningful ways. Through events that give children a chance to laugh, play and build friendships; resources that help meet immediate needs; peer support and education for caregivers; and mentorship for young adults, our community continues to show what is possible when people choose to show up for one another.
That is the heart of this work. Foster care is not only about the moment a child enters a new home. It is about the network of people who help make that home, and the journey beyond it, feel more supported and hopeful.
Arizona has many people with something valuable to offer. You may have time to volunteer, a skill that could serve a family or young adult, resources to share or a desire to learn more. You may be able to invite a foster family over for dinner, help with a school project, offer encouragement or simply be a steady presence.
Each of those choices can matter.
When we think of foster care as something that belongs to all of us, we open the door to more connection, more support and more possibilities for children and families. We become part of the community that helps children feel remembered, caregivers feel encouraged and young adults feel that they have people in their corner.
You do not have to open your home to make a difference in foster care. But you can open your heart, your time or your circle of support.
What could you bring to the table?
Kimberly Vehon is founder and CEO of Foster Arizona, a Mesa-based nonprofit serving foster children and families since 2013. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.
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