Thank you for visiting our Foster Care Simulation page and for continuing on to learn more about the need our children and families experiencing foster care, and foster families have.
This page is a partial list of ways you can get involved to directly support and help children and families experiencing the foster care system, or in supporting foster families who have opened up their hearts and homes, or by volunteering to help a child or family in some way.
This list is not complete, and will be updated as resources are brought to our attention, but it’s a good starting point for those that want to be part of the solution to the foster care crisis our state, and our community is in. If we each do something, we can make significant change that will better the lives of children and families. So thank you for visiting this page and for considering how you can be part of the change needed!
- The desperate need for more local foster parents: https://www.foster325.org/fosterparent,
New Horizons, Methodist Children’s Home - The need for more CASA volunteers: https://bigcountrycasa.org/volunteer/
- Consider a career with a Child Placing Agency: http://fosteringbigcountrykids.com/TAYLOR/
- Consider a career with 2INgage: https://www.2ingage.org/employment/
- Join a Foster Parent wrap-around team: If you know a foster parent ask to organize or join their team to support them physically and emotionally. If you do not know of a foster parent, find info at https://www.foster325.org/individual-family-
- Get your employer, church or civic group to support a foster family with wrap-around services once a month. https://www.foster325.org/individual-family-
- Babysit for foster parents. Ask the family which agency they are with, then call the agency for their next training. Or sign up here to volunteer through Foster 325: https://www.foster325.org/babysit.
- Donate to the Bluebonnet Room – A supply source that Case Managers can access after a removal. Call to ask what supplies are needed: Taylor County Child Welfare Board Bluebonnet Room: Shanna Shaeffer @ 325-267-1153, located at CPS offices: 3610 Vine Street, Abilene.
- Donate to Help Here /AISD Homeless Program – They provide basic needs of clothing, shoes, backpacks, school supplies and hygiene items to AISD displaced youth. Darrin Cox @ 325-725-3682
- Donate to Southern Hills “Foster Love Connection” – They provide various items including clothing, bedding basic necessities for foster parents /foster children. Call 325-677-9955
- “Build a Bed” – Ask your church or civic group to help build beds with Beltway Boots on the Ground. They provide the template, materials and skilled team leaders to guide! No experience needed. You can also donate new twin sheets:. Boots on the Ground
- Donate Items: Get your church group/class or civic group to donate basic necessities; clothing, new shoes, clothes or hygiene items for children in foster care.
- Supporting Bio & Foster Families: If you own a business, could your policies provide support to bio and foster parents? Families may need time off for appointments and court hearings. There are many demands on these families, and they may need support and/or flexibility of schedules.
- Financial: Consider financially supporting one of the child welfare agencies providing services to children and families or to Big Country CASA – Donate to Big Country CASA – Big Country CASA.
- Volunteer: Big Country CASA, Taylor County Child Welfare Board, AISD Help Team and many other agencies rely on committed community volunteers!