Local foster care service shares resources during National Foster Care Month

BOWLING GREEN, Ky.- It’s National Foster Care Month, and almost 9,000 Kentuckians rely on foster care for stability and a loving home.

Still, many don’t find a forever home, especially if they are close to aging out of the foster care system.

Skylar Thompson, a licensing specialist at NECCO, says, “They’re reaching that age. And sometimes they get in the mindset of, ‘oh, I don’t want to be in the system anymore.’ And that is definitely understandable. But there are so many opportunities that they could take advantage of to help get them into adulthood.”

There are many resources for people who age out of foster care, lik medical coverage, educational assistance for college and so much more, but many people don’t know what’s accessible to them and the impact that it can have on their lives.

Thompson also tsays, “I work in foster care because I was a foster kid myself. I was in the system from ages 15 to 21. I completed an independent living program, and so I just wanted to be able to give back. There are so many programs and opportunities and, you know, these kids in care who are reaching that age probably haven’t had the best experiences. They haven’t found that forever home.”

For more information on the resources available to foster families and children, visit NECCO’s website.