SAN ANTONIO — End San Antonio's foster care crisis by the end of 2025? That's the lofty goal of the South Texas Alliance For Orphans. And this year, 2024, they hope to recruit and find 200 foster families for kids in the child welfare system.
That's lofty, too, but they told us they wanna help folks do it if it's something that's on their heart.
"There's a major need for families not to just get a child for their family, but be willing to give their family to a child," said Pastor Mike Kraft, Director Of Pastoral Engagement for the Alliance. "The question that I ask people, and that I struggle with myself,'" he continued, "are you willing to let your heart break in order to let another heart heal."
He was referring their, of course, to the idea of reunification which often happens to foster parents, but which is also the hopeful goal they must deal with to see kids reunited with their birth families.
The Alliance has been hosting monthly information meetings in person and over Zoom since the start of the year to answer any and all questions to folks who might wanna open their homes to foster children.
"They are to help people look under the hood of foster care," said Jocelyn Wilson, the Alliance Director Of Church Engagement. "We know that foster care can be scary and that most people run when they hear the term, but we wanna make sure people can ask all the questions they have with no judgement or pressure."
Pastor Kraft said that first leap of faith is being open to the idea of being educated about the San Antonio foster crisis.
"And number two, are you willing to step in and do something about it," he said. "We're not all gonna do the same thing, but we all do something."
The Alliance goal is to have everyone consider what it might be like to offer their homes to kids in need for whatever season that child might be in.
"It is important to know whether or not it is a good fit for you," said Jocelyn.
The Alliance says their both in-person and Zoom meetings have been very successful, and they're looking for even more local families to learn about the current foster care crisis.
"Lots of people that came were on the edge about fostering, but took that step toward finding a licensed agency which is something the Alliance can help anyone do," said Jocelyn. "The agency is the one that will then license them."
Pastor Kraft summed up the Alliance mission with this last simple statement:
"Wouldn't it be amazing if the city of San Antonio said, hey, we believe that every child matters and that we're gonna end the foster care crisis in this city, and that every kid in San Antonio that needs a home has a home. How amazing would that be?"