Love Box Volunteer- Support Children Experiencing Foster Care

Full Application Here : https : / / www.chicagoangels.org / lovebox.html

WHY CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND FAMILIES EXPERIENCING FOSTER CARE NEED YOU

Children are removed from their homes and placed in foster care due to neglect, abandonment, or because they are the victims of physical, sexual, or emotional abuse. When children are removed from the home they are confused and upset and they need the temporary protection and nurturing that a foster family can provide. It can be extremely difficult for children to adjust to a new home, new caregivers, new norms, a new school, and a new community. We also know that children in foster care experience high placement instability, many of them moving homes frequently. One large factor leading to this high rate of turnover is foster parents feeling unsupported or overwhelmed.

THIS IS WHERE WE COME IN -

WE SUPPORT THE WHOLE FAMILY

The Love Box program provides fostering families (caregivers, children in foster care, and biological / adopted children) with community and holistic support. This wrap-around support enables caregivers to continue to do the important and meaningful work of being foster parents. As a Love Box group, you will be matched with a local foster family based on location, compatibility, and scope of needs. When our families are matched with committed volunteers who show up monthly, parents feel supported and children gain a greater sense of normalcy, relational permanency, and self confidence.

Volunteers seek to build relationships with their family by spending quality time with the whole family : playing games, sharing a meal, and being intentional. They can also create and deliver personal care packages based on current practical needs. We tell our volunteers to think of themselves as the fun "auntie" and "uncle" who visits once a month to bring love, encouragement, and hope. This program requires a one year commitment, but the connections and impact last a lifetime.