Foster Care Week: We Desperately Need More Foster Parents

There are still not enough foster parents. As a result, it is not always possible to find a suitable placement for a child who temporarily cannot live at home. During Foster Care Week, the municipality of Voorschoten is raising awareness of the need for new foster parents.

Chatting on the couch

Foster care can take various forms. A child may live with a foster family for a short or longer period of time, but foster care can also, for example, provide a safe and familiar place to stay on weekends or during vacations.

Food, Love, and Frustration

Alderman Rachèl van Hellemondt visited foster parents Mirka and Joost. Their foster son Kevin was also at home. During the visit, Kevin described in his own words what a foster family means to him: “Food, love, and annoyance. Just the whole package.” When asked what he likes best about his foster mom, whom he calls “monster mom,” Kevin said, “She used to always play ‘monster mom.’ She’d run after me and my sister.”

More foster parents needed

Alderman Rachèl van Hellemondt: “What Kevin says really brings home what foster care is all about: offering a child a place where they can feel safe and at home and simply be part of a family. It’s heartbreaking that there are children for whom no suitable placement is available because there aren’t enough foster parents. That’s why I hope that during this Foster Care Week, people will take the time to explore what they might be able to do to help.”

Want to learn more about foster care?

Anyone who is interested in foster parenting or wants to know what types of foster care are available can find more information on the website pleegzorg.nl.