As Foster Care Awareness Month comes to a close, we want to bring awareness to an important aspect of the foster care system: kinship care. Kinship care is when a child is raised by a relative or friend of the bio-parent as their primary caregiver. According to Annie E. Casey Foundation, roughly 3% of children, nearly 2.5 million, in the US are being raised by a kinship caregiver, and it’s estimated that 1 in 11 children live in kinship care at some point before they turn 18. Informal kinship is much more common than you might think. If you know someone who has been raised by a grandparent, aunt or uncle, or sibling, for example, without any involvement in the foster care system, that is informal kinship care. Kinship has been a longtime practice of communities caring for each other and each other’s children when the bio-parent is not able to. In honor of Foster Care Awareness Month and the end of the school year, our Kinship Support Program is throwing a Hello Summer Festival, in partnership with the AKA Sorority Omega Mu Omega Chapter, on June 14th for the kinship families we serve! #BeATurningPoint #kinshipcare #AKA #philly #alphakappaalpha #fostercareawarenessmonth #fosterlove (fb)

May is both Mental Health Awareness Month and Foster Care Awareness Month—two causes that are deeply connected. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics—and echoed by our own staff—mental and behavioral health is one of the most significant unmet needs for children and youth in foster care. We believe supporting mental health isn’t just important—it’s essential. Mental and emotional well-being shape how young people grow, learn, connect with others, and navigate the world. In our older youth programs, like LifeSet and BIPS, we create space for emotional regulation, relationship-building, and conversations that center mental wellness. Our staff help young people develop the tools to understand what they’re feeling, why it matters, and how to care for their own well-being. Too often, these supports are limited or overlooked for youth in foster care. We’re working to change that and are committed to innovating and expanding our approach by working to add more dedicated mental health supports across our continuum of care. This month reminds us not only why our work is urgent—but also how much more is possible. If you are or know a young person who needs more support and is aging out of foster care, head to the link below to refer yourself or someone else to LifeSet. https://linktr.ee/turningpointsforchildren #mentalhealthawarenessmonth #mentalhealthmatters #fostercareawarenessmonth #BeATurningPoint #philly #youthvillages #lifeset (fb)