Who is this event for?
Foster/kinship families, social workers, service providers, and local businesses
At our 2021 event, over 25 families found invaluable encouragement and information by connecting with area service providers. At this year's Day in the Park, we will be adding a special preview hour for social workers, where people offering front line care will have the opportunity to learn more about the organizations that can support the families that they work with every day. Our May 21st event will serve as a living directory, providing foster and kinship care families a chance to talk with representatives from a variety of service organizations in our community.
What can we expect at the event?
An engaging, educational, and relaxed day with a community that understands the specific needs of families supporting children through foster or kinship care. This free event includes professional family portraits, catered meal, magic show with balloon animals, carnival games and prizes, drawing for gift baskets, and resources to support foster and kinship care families journeys.
Service providers- bring a table, any pertinent literature to share with interested families, and a small carnival game (such as ring toss or bean bag tic-tac-toe), along with a small prize to give children on the day of the event. We will have volunteers available to help with set-up at 12:30 PM and game play throughout the day, so that your representatives can spend time talking with parents about the ways that your resources can better equip them for the important work of serving our community’s most vulnerable kids.
Local businesses- provide a gift basket that can be given away as a thank-you to support the foster and kinship families in the area. This can include items from your business, a gift card, or a themed basket, such as movie night, game night, travel items, outdoor play or ANYTHING creative!
Volunteers/Churches- set up a table in support of the local families by providing a carnival game and small prizes for the children that are attending the event.
As you prepare for this event, think creatively about the services and programs that your agency offers that might offset the needs in a foster or kinship care household, including those initiatives that might equip the children for life beyond foster care. Some examples include: clothing vouchers for new placements, childcare, counseling services, financial planning, therapeutic services, extracurricular activity scholarships, and support/awareness of family-friendly events for foster and kinship families.
We believe that the face-to-face interaction at this event will be an invaluable resource for these families. Please let us know if you are planning to attend by filling out the attached form and returning it before May 10th, giving us time to plan an event arrangement that maximizes your opportunity for interaction with families. Please note: no photographs other than the professional sessions will be permitted of families at this event to ensure the privacy of foster children in attendance.
How can you help?
Become a volunteer, supporter, or service provider
Share this event within your community
Like and follow Beloved on Facebook for future updates
We look forward to hearing from you soon and witnessing the power of your engagement with foster and kinship care providers at our May 21st event!
If you have any questions about the event or our organization, please feel free to reach out to us at friends@belovedbags.org or call Amy at 812-552-6679 or Stephanie at 636-443-3316.