3 Reasons Why Summer Is The Best Time To Foster

As the school year winds down, most children are looking forward to a summer filled with fun and creating family memories. But for youth in foster care, including over 20 thousand in the state of Illinois alone, this is not always the case. According to state-level data for understanding child welfare in the United States, a large majority of these children and teenagers suffer from neglect. Others have encountered abuse.

Foster parents offer children support and stability when they need it most – and they are desperately needed. But before you can become a foster parent and receive your first placement, you must undergo the licensing process. This includes an application, background checks, health screenings, a home study, and training, which can take three months or more. As the most relaxed and easy-going season, summer can be a great time to take that first step.

On the other hand, if you have already completed the process and will soon be welcoming a child or sibling group into your home, you are in luck! Here are three reasons why summer is the best time to foster.

1.Time: Summer provides foster families time to get to know each other and feel more comfortable without the added stress of also adjusting to a new school and new teachers. Instead, families can relax at home, plan fun activities, take a vacation, and bond more easily. They can also work on establishing a healthy routine and learning family rules before heading back to school.

2. Sunshine: Sunshine is the best source of vitamin D, which can naturally boost your mood, as noted in a recent article published by U.S. News and World Report. Healthline also states that sunshine can increase the brain’s release of a hormone called serotonin, which has been shown to help people feel calm and focused. And thankfully, there is plenty of sunshine in the summer months.

3. Fresh Air: In general, physical activities increase endorphins, which can trigger a positive feeling in the body, according to Web MD. And when the weather is nice, we tend to spend more time playing outside in the fresh air, whether it’s swimming, riding bikes, or simply running around the playground. Outdoor activities can reduce stress and anxiety, promote better sleep, and strengthen social interaction.

If you have ever considered fostering, what are you waiting for? Summer is just around the corner, and as you can see, there is no better time to become a foster parent. Visit our website for more information, or click on the following link to get started: https://family.binti.com/users/signup/camelot-il-initial

Every child needs and deserves to grow up safe and protected from abuse and neglect, and caring foster parents offer children support and stability when they need it most. At Camelot Care Centers, we specialize in higher-level foster care for children and adolescents that need extra support. We partner with our foster parents/homes to provide trauma informed care and additional services, including in-home counseling, parent support and training, tele-psychiatry, and therapeutic mentoring, to maintain children at the least restrictive, yet most appropriate level of care. Camelot Care Centers (“Camelot”) is a Child Welfare Agency.