Advocate

Advocating for Change in the System

There is a lot of misinformation and confusion surrounding children in foster care, the foster parents and relatives who care for them, and the biological parents who are working to reunify with their kids. 

Foster Village Peoria brings dignity to the children and families we serve, understanding the root causes of why a child ends up in the foster care system, facilitating relationships between foster families and biological families and replicating communities of support around the nation.

When churches, companies and individuals come alongside those involved in the child welfare system, something beautiful happens: all parties are changed for the better.

Partners in Permanency

We believe it takes a village for all families to thrive. And we are committed to walking alongside their first caregivers - their biological family. Most children who exit foster care either return home to their birth families or exit into the custody of biological relatives. Yet, there is a huge gap in post-reunification services available to help sustain these families. 

Our programs strive to also help families build safe and stable permanency after reunification. Our unique approach is based on an ongoing, committed relationship between birth parents and foster parents in order to best care for the children they love. We help everyone navigate the transition between homes, encourage teamwork, and help connect reunifying families to the resources and services that can truly help break cycles of generational adversity and keep families together.

Community Awareness

Though everyone is aware of the child welfare system, most people in our communities do not have personal experience with it. This often creates a gap between the need in the community and those who live their lives unaffected by it.

We create empathy and awareness between foster parents and children in foster care and the community at large, helping shed a light on the need through research and storytelling.

Policy Reform

As we work on the front lines and connect personally with the needs of foster families and biological families, we understand many of the complex dynamics and unseen challenges families in the child welfare system face. 

Our team regularly meets with local and national policy makers to present real life stories and share information about what we are seeing and hearing from families, what we believe needs to change and ways that we can more holistically serve vulnerable children and families. Using our personal experience, child development training and trauma-informed background, we strive to bring more dignity and humanity to our child welfare system and empower policy makers to better understand and serve the families they are there to help.