We are thrilled to express our heartfelt gratitude to Dignity Health for sponsoring our 2024 Family Picnic! This event is more than just a day of fun—it is a vital celebration of our incredible resource families and a cornerstone of Foster Care Awareness Month. This May, we came together to champion a vision where all children thrive in committed, permanent, and nurturing families, supported by their communities and enhanced by trauma-informed services.

Dignity Health believes in the healing power of humanity, noting, “embracing humankindness and respect, we can heal each other.” Becoming a resource parent truly embodies these principles—providing love, stability, and compassion to children in need, which Dignity Health is honored to celebrate as a part of their commitment to kindness and community care.

Foster Care Awareness Month is a time to shine a light on the realities of child welfare, dispelling myths and highlighting the unique challenges faced by youth in care. Our mission is to ensure that every child, especially those ages 13 to 18, receives the love, guidance, and permanent family connections they need. Too often, older youth in the system are overlooked, yet they are just as deserving of a stable and supportive families as younger children.

Our Pathways to Permanency program plays a crucial role in this mission. It aims to create lasting family bonds by reuniting youth with their birth families whenever possible. When reunification isn’t viable, we seek resource families within the youth’s existing networks. This approach not only preserves the child’s sense of belonging but also fosters stronger, more resilient families.

The 2024 Family Picnic is an embodiment of these values. By celebrating our resource families, we acknowledge the love and stability they provide, which is essential for the well-being of children in foster care. This event also serves as an opportunity to educate the community about the importance of supporting resource families and the significant impact they have on children’s lives.

Let’s embrace all children, focusing on older youth in foster care who deserve the same love, support, and stability as everyone else. Together, with the generous support of sponsors like Dignity Health, we can make a lasting difference. Join us in creating a future where every child has the chance to thrive in a loving and permanent home.

Learn more about our Pathways to Permanency program and how you can help children in your community.