Conference highlights National Foster Care Month

BOWLING GREEN, Ky.-May is National Foster Care Month. 

And a national conference devoted to bettering the foster care and child welfare system is being held right here in Bowling Green. 

Tyler Hunter, who was adopted out of foster care, was the keynote speaker. 

“I think it was, man, exciting and it was just a once in a lifetime opportunity and I’m so honored that they asked me to be here,” said Hunter. 

Born in Bowling Green, his mom became addicted to drugs and could no longer care for him. He went from foster care to family to back to foster care before finally going to his forever family in 2014. 

“Foster care has changed my life in monumental ways. It’s the reason why I’m still alive, it’s the reason why I have stability, it’s the reason why I have a mom, the reason why I graduated college and high school, the reason why I think I’m so successful,” said Hunter. 

Another attendee of the conference, was also adopted out of foster care. 

“I was very fortunate, unlike a lot of foster children who are experiencing the system today. I was placed immediately with my adoptive home and was adopted at three years old.” said Andrea Hightower, a consultant for child welfare. 

She grew up and became a social worker because of her experience. 

“You don’t know that you have foster care children in your church congregation, your children are playing with children that are in foster care, and they deserve to have every opportunity in life that non foster children do,” said Hightower. 

Hunter thinks more things need to be done at the state level to help foster care. 

“If we start adding more resources, especially to our front line workers, and also those people who support young people in foster care, if we add more resources whether it’s education, finance, whatever, I think we can mitigate the continuous cycle of kids entering foster care,” said Hunter. 

For details on the conference, click here.