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When my husband and I first started fostering seven years ago, we struggled. Our first placement had medical needs, as did our two year old biological daughter, and I was eight months pregnant. I look back at the level of stress we were under and remember the feeling of not being seen or heard. We had minimal support but desperately wanted to continue to help our community as foster caregivers. Years later when we moved, we found a National Angels chapter and were matched in their Love Box program.  As my husband and I explained what led us to foster, they all listened, they all cared. Our love Box group asked about the kids in our home, and as I answered them I realized how many social, emotional and physical needs the kiddos in our home had, and it permitted me to feel the weight of what we were doing. It was a task - a big one - but the Love Box program gives foster families space to be heard and seen, to be valued in the role we take on, and proud to be foster parents. They meet the practical needs of our family as we transition with new kiddos coming in and out, and make the remaining members of the family feel just as important.  Our Love Box volunteers have been with us for two years and have blessed us greatly by checking in on us, surprising us, and supporting us. I can’t count the number of times we were given detergent at just the right moment, or leaned on a gift card for supper when we were having a hard week. Those things have been the answers to the unspoken prayers and needs we have had along this journey.
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In 2019, I attended a women’s conference with some friends and had no idea that my world was about to change. Before our first lunch break, I watched a short but impactful clip from our parent organization, National Angels. I listened to our CEO speak of the bleak statistics that our children in foster care face and as I looked around the room, I realized that not one person, including me had ever heard this information before. And I couldn't help but think - a lot of people must not know. I was shocked to learn that only 50% of our foster youth are graduating high school, only 3% of foster youth go on to graduate with a college degree, over 60% of our local homeless population has spent time in foster care, and as a country - almost 70% of our prison populations have spent time in care. The statistics were unacceptable - but I felt a bolt of lightning in my chest and just thought…I have to do something about this, I CAN do something about this. My name is Anne Walton and I am the Executive Director of KCMO Angels, an organization of passionate people that wrap community around children, youth and families experiencing foster care.  I flew home from that conference and shared with my family that I wanted to quit my corporate job and start a chapter of National Angels right here in Kansas City, Missouri. The support I received was overwhelming and amazing. In fact - it was that immediate support that reassured me every step of the way that I was doing the right thing. This was meant to be. Here we are, three years later, THRIVING! Launching a non-profit in January of 2020 right before a pandemic was not exactly ideal. I would be lying if I said I didn’t doubt what our future would hold. However the incredible people of Kansas City continue to show us that KC cares, and we are so needed. Since inception, we have served over 600 children and over 40 families. We have been able to wrap community, and intentional consistent support around not only these children and youth in foster care, but their caretakers as well. When caretakers feel supported, they can continue the very important work of fostering. When children who come from hard places feel seen and heard, they can start to believe that they can have any future they choose. And that is our hope for every child and youth experiencing foster care - to see a future full of hope and joy and love. Our programs aim to do that and we won't stop until we reach the 2,000+ kids in our community experiencing the foster care system.
Together as a city, we are changing the stats of foster care … one sweet child at a time. |
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March 2024
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